Hoo—

The face briefly obscured by thick smoke emerged once more.

Kang-do chewed harshly on the cigarette hanging from his lips as though it were gum.

“That b*stard…”

His blood pressure continued to rise because of a man he could no longer dismiss as insignificant.

That dry, cold expression suited Tae-moo infuriatingly well.

Although he was a man himself, Kang-do begrudgingly envied Tae-moo’s reckless, youthful vitality — the kind that surged forward without fear or restraint.

No one had ever truly put him in his place before.

“For what reason did you summon a busy man like me?”

Rather than a greeting, the tone had sounded as though Tae-moo merely came to look at the face of the man who dared waste his personal time.

“For someone so young…”

What rotten manners.

Muttering the words he had failed to say earlier, Kang-do replayed the events from twenty minutes ago inside his head.

“I have no intention of keeping a busy man like you around for long. I’ll speak plainly. How would you feel about marrying my daughter?”

“You summoned me here without arranging an appointment for something so insignificant?”

“I sincerely apologize for calling you so abruptly. But I have my own circumstances as well. I don’t have endless free time and can’t wait forever for a meeting that might never happen. Unfortunately, I had no choice but to handle things this way. I hope you’ll understand.”

“For the sake of Minister Ji Kang-do, who carries such heavy responsibilities, I suppose I should indulge you. I’ll do my best to understand the difficult position the minister is in.”

The sharply raised eyebrows.

The faint curve that lifted the corners of his lips.

Even his crookedly handsome features came together in an infuriatingly perfect way.

The only reason Kang-do could not openly explode at such blatant disrespect was because

The man standing before him was Seong Tae-moo.

If it had been anyone else, he would have thrown the ashtray straight in their face.

‘How dare he. Does he even know who I am?’

Kang-do had always got what he wanted by any means necessary.

This time, he had chosen the Yuseong Group’s heir to fulfil his ambitions.

He was not content to settle for the position of Minister of Economy and Finance alone.

To run for president and secure an overwhelming victory, he needed the support of Seong Tae-moo, a man wealthy enough to donate billions without hesitation.

Unlike other conglomerates consumed by vicious succession battles, the Yuseong Group’s next successor had been decided long ago: Seong Tae-moo.

A series of tragedies had repeatedly struck the Yuseong family, causing the intended heirs to die young. Tae-moo’s father was among them.

The person who now truly controlled the Yuseong Group was Tae-moo’s aunt, Chairwoman Lee Na-ra.

Following her husband’s death, she used her family’s company to fend off attempts to take over the Yuseong Group.

She eventually merged her family’s formerly highly profitable medium-sized company with the Yuseong Group itself.

To silence growing dissatisfaction, she publicly declared that she would raise her son and nephew equally as successors, ultimately passing her position to the more capable of the two.

“But the son she raised so carefully died.”

The accident claimed two lives.

Kang-do also lost his child in the same accident.

With a bitter taste in his mouth, he lowered the car window and flicked the cigarette b*tt outside. He repeatedly replayed Tae-moo’s words in his mind.

“You seemed busy today as well. Why didn’t you arrange a proper meeting place beforehand?”

“If I had brought my daughter with me, someone with your personality would’ve turned around and left without even listening.”

Rumors spread throughout political and business circles that anyone who angered Seong Tae-moo would be ruined, regardless of their status or power.

What made him so frightening was that he was nothing like the reckless chaebol heirs who indulged in violence and drugs.

Tae-moo’s cruelty was colder. More merciless.

And Kang-do liked that side of him.

He was not someone anyone could afford to make an enemy of.

This was precisely why Kang-do needed him on his side.

If they formed an unbreakable family bond, then Seong Tae-moo would be the most reliable ally possible.

“You saw right through me. I suppose you already know what I’m about to say next.”

“Of course. That’s exactly why I came to ask you in person. We’re bound to coexist eventually anyway, so wouldn’t it be better to maintain a favorable relationship? For the sake of our connection, I’d like you to meet my daughter.”

“Looking at someone’s face once isn’t exactly difficult.”

“Exactly! I’m not trying to force you. Meet her first, and if you’re not interested, you’re free to say so. But I can assure you of one thing: once you see her, you’ll definitely be interested.”

“Now that you mention it, I admit I’m a little curious. If she resembles Minister Ji Kang-do, then I suppose she must be moderately attractive at least.”

“She takes after her mother far more than me. I hate to praise my own child, but she truly is beautiful because she inherited her mother’s looks.”

“You mean she resembles Madam Kim Mi-hyang?”

The moment he saw Seong Tae-moo’s head tilt slightly sideways, Kang-do realized he had misspoken.

Even now, the spot where he had bitten his tongue in haste still throbbed faintly.

“There’s something you don’t know. My daughter has a different biological mother.”

“You mean she’s illegitimate?”

“There’s no need to be concerned. She’s registered under my family registry. Both my wife and I consider her our daughter. There’s absolutely nothing problematic about her status.”

“Your daughter must be very fortunate to have such wonderful parents.”

“Indeed. To tell you the truth, my daughter is quite fond of you. As her father, I am asking you sincerely. I hope you’ll give this matter some positive consideration.”

“I understand what you’re trying to say. Unfortunately, the timing is poor. I’ve already met a woman who has caught my interest.”

The expression on Tae-moo’s face looked almost genuinely regretful, which made Kang-do suspicious.

Though he studied him carefully, the man before him was not the type to lie.

Realizing that Seong Tae-moo would simply reject something outright if he disliked it, Kang-do gradually let go of his suspicions.

“Haha, but you haven’t made her yours yet, have you? And even if you do, so what? Just buy her a house and keep her there.”

Surprisingly, he was old-fashioned when it came to women.

Perhaps because his father died after living as a notorious womanizer, Tae-moo had developed an aversion to the idea.

Even among chaebol heirs, who were constantly changing partners, Seong Tae-moo was unusual in that he had never been involved in a scandal with a woman.

“You don’t strike me as the type of person who would marry for love. I never thought you were someone who relied on emotions. Was I mistaken? No matter how secure your position may seem, you can’t completely ignore Chairwoman Lee Na-ra’s relatives. You never know when they might try to take what belongs to you. I’m offering to become a powerful shield for you when that day comes. Yet you’re willing to throw away the chance to become my son-in-law over a mere woman?”

“A perfectly reasonable argument.”

Seeing Seong Tae-moo nod so easily, Kang-do believed for a moment that he had almost succeeded in persuading him.

“Then when would you have time? My daughter is available whenever you wish. We’ll adjust entirely to your schedule. Even late at night would be fine.”

“I think it would be better if you heard me out before pushing this any further. That’s not something a father who truly loves his daughter should say.”

“What do you mean?”

“You sound like a man trying to sell the daughter of the woman he claims to love.”

“……!”

“You’re asking me to maintain two households. Unfortunately, I grew up seeing that kind of life played out, and I’m sick and tired of it. Since you went to the trouble of investigating the internal affairs of the Yuseong Group, you should have researched my personal circumstances properly before making a proposal like this.”

With those words, Seong Tae-moo rose from his seat.

“I’ll be leaving now. I trust you won’t summon me over something like this again.”

The memory of those eyes looking down on him with complete superiority refused to leave Kang-do’s mind.

Grinding his teeth harshly, he spat out a name.

“Heo Il-woo.”

“Yes, Minister.”

The man gripping the steering wheel answered immediately.

“Send someone to investigate Seong Tae-moo. Judging by the look of it, there’s probably a woman he’s seeing. Find out what kind of b*tch she is too. She might become the weakness needed to grab hold of that stiff neck of his.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll pass the orders down.”

Kang-do smiled viciously in response to his subordinate’s obedient reply.

This was never about winning or losing.

He had spent thirty years manipulating people with nothing but words and influence.

No matter how sharp Seong Tae-moo’s business instincts were, he could never overcome Kang-do’s years of experience.

***

A harsh hand struck Yeon-ha across the cheek.

“Why are you home so late?!”

“…I’m sorry.”

Holding her turned face, Yeon-ha lowered her head just as she always did.

“Do you think my words are a joke?”

Her stepmother’s hands were always directed toward the easiest target—Yeon-ha.

“Madam, the Minister has returned home.”

“He’s the kind of man who’d stay silent even while I beat his child, so let him watch.”

A short while later, her biological father stepped inside the house, frowning slightly.

The gaze he cast toward Yeon-ha clutching her cheek and toward his alcohol-scented wife remained utterly indifferent.

“You hit her again?”

“Can’t you tell by the state she’s in? She was wandering around until this hour. I’m disciplining her so it won’t happen again.”

“Stop hitting the girl in the face.”

“Why all of a sudden?”

“I found her a marriage prospect.”

At those horrifying words, Yeon-ha’s eyes squeezed shut tightly.

She had always known a day like this would come but it arrived far sooner than she ever imagined.