CHAPTER 45

Siyeon sat in the bride’s waiting room, her gaze cast downward, a veil of tension beneath her composed expression.

Her hands trembled faintly under the bouquet, waiting for the groom who had yet to arrive at the venue to greet the guests.

Jeong Ijun, who was supposed to marry Siyeon today, had not simply failed to arrive; he had actually run away. The groom’s family, realizing something was amiss, was frantically questioning people to track down his whereabouts.

Eun-kyung, Siyeon’s friend, paced anxiously in the waiting room. Suddenly, someone rushed in through the door – it was Manager Yang, who had taken on the role of assisting Siyeon in her wedding.

She had volunteered to assist Siyeon from the day she asked for help regarding her marriage to the heir of Baekya Foods. She’d spent the entire month dieting and taking care of her skin pouring her efforts into her appearance.

“We found him!”

“You found him? Really? Where was he?”

Eun-kyung, who had been nervously standing by Siyeon’s side, asked eagerly. She had closed her café from yesterday and was supposed to receive Siyeon’s bouquet today.

“They caught him just before he was about to board a plane at the airport! Apparently, he was planning to leave the country without anyone in his family knowing. What a shocker!”

Manager Yang, with an agitated voice, glanced briefly at Siyeon and hurriedly sealed her lips, repeatedly fanning her flushed cheeks with her palm due to anger. She had a lot to say but held it back, thinking of Siyeon.

“…They brought him here?”

Eun-kyung, drawing closer to her with a worried expression, asked. Though they were meeting for the first time today, their shared concern for Siyeon quickly brought them together.

“Where else would he go? The boss was extremely angry and ordered him to come, even if they had to drag him here. Several security personnel went to get him, so they’ll bring him here somehow.”

“Where else would I bring him? The boss was absolutely furious and ordered us to bring him here, even if by force. Several security personnel went, so they’ll manage to get him here one way or another.”

Manager Yang, utilizing her role as the bride’s assistant, was well informed about the secretive developments on the groom’s side.

“Even if they take the fastest route from the airport to here, it’d take at least an hour and a half. What about the ceremony?”

Eun-kyung looked distressed.

“They plan to delay the ceremony for about two hours, citing an unavoidable circumstance for the guests. They’ll serve the meal first.”

“Will the guests understand that easily?”

“It’s the wedding of the Baekya Food Group’s heir; they’ll understand. I overheard some of the groom’s guests whispering, saying it’s not just a grandson’s wedding, but the apparent heir’s. That’s why even though the eldest son is in the hospital, they’re making this wedding so grand.”

Manager Yang cautiously trailed off in her speech.

Despite having a seriously ill patient at home, Chairman Jeong had magnificently arranged and publicized Ijun’s wedding, and all the invited guests attended to bless the couple’s future.

And Siyeon understood that, for her sake, Chairman Jeong had made such a decision despite being an uncomfortable presence for the Jeong family. Even if she wasn’t Professor Kim Donghan’s granddaughter, it still hurt to know that she was being asked to stand tall with her shoulders straight and marry into the Jeong family.

“I saw earlier that the main hall was packed with Jeong family members alone.”

As the wedding preparations began, Chairman Jeong first gathered their family members and informed them of the marriage between Ijun and Siyeon. Despite the uproar caused by the revelation that Siyeon was not Professor Kim’s daughter, they couldn’t openly oppose Chairman Jeong’s decision.

The family members agreed without resistance, knowing that for Gwihyeon, there was a true granddaughter of Kim Dong-han waiting for him to rise and that they couldn’t delay Ijun’s marriage any longer, as per Chairman Jeong’s firm words. Unless a miracle occurred, Ijun had to step into the heir’s role.

“But why did Ijun do this on the day of the wedding? Seeing this disturbance, could it possibly be another woman…?”

“…Hey!”

Manager Yang, sensing Siyeon’s unresponsive state, gestured to Eun-kyung, signaling her to keep quiet and then approached Siyeon, speaking with a cheerful face as if nothing significant had happened.

“Siyeon, ever heard of pre-marriage blues? It’s natural for guys to have such feelings before marriage. They get all flustered and make impulsive decisions, so don’t be too upset about it.”

“R-right! It’s pre-marriage blues. I’m sure Ijun also experienced that, right? Do you think so, too?”

“…”

Up until then, Siyeon had quietly listened to their noisy conversation with her eyes lowered. Slowly lifting her head, she offered a reassuring smile to the two.

He must have failed in his escape attempt. Ijun hadn’t fully accepted this marriage, but Siyeon never imagined he’d try to flee overseas on the day of the wedding. He hated the idea of marrying her even more than the huge ripples his absence would cause.

“Unnie, I’m sure my parents are very surprised, can you go and take a look to make sure they’re okay?”

“Huh? O-Okay! Don’t worry. I’ll go and check on them.”

Manager Yang left, and shortly after, Ijun’s father, CEO Jeong, entered.

“Siyeon, I need to check the hall too. Is that okay?”

Sensing CEO Jeong’s unusual demeanor, Eun-kyung excused herself. When she left, CEO Jeong stationed security guards at the bride’s waiting room, ensuring no one entered. All the guests were already gathered in the hall and banquet area.

“…Is Grandfather okay?”

Siyeon asked with a worried tone. When she heard about Ijun fleeing, the first person that came to mind was Suwon’s grandfather, who must have been deeply shocked.

“The attending physician is monitoring him regularly, so don’t worry too much. I don’t have the face to see you.”

Seeming quite exhausted, he wiped his face with the palm of his hand before sitting on the sofa diagonally across from Siyeon. A brief silence fell between them.

“…I informed the guests that there was a minor collision on Ijun’s way to the venue. The in-laws are aware, but if they happen to find out the truth later, it would be good if you explain it calmly, so they aren’t too surprised.”

“Okay, I’ll do that. Thank you.”

“Siyeon.”

“Yes, sir?”

“I’m incredibly sorry for what happened.”

“…”

It was a weary voice, worn thin with the loss of patience. Despite being the father of the groom, who should be smiling broadly at his son’s wedding, his face was filled with deep sorrow.

Both of them waited in a heavy silence, longing for Ijun to return.

* * *

After nearly two hours, the door to the bride’s waiting room creaked open, and finally, Ijun walked in.

In Siyeon’s eyes, who raised her head towards the entrance, she glimpsed a group of men in dark suits behind Ijun.

When his eyes met Siyeon’s, he smirked as if to say something pitiful, but his lips quickly contorted in pain, and he ran his thumb over them as if they were sore.

Seeing Ijun in such disarray, Siyeon could guess that he had strongly resisted coming here. His hands and face bore bruises, as if he had fought or was subjected to force.

Despite his condition, he had a reason to come straight to the bride’s waiting room without going elsewhere. There was no other space outside this room where he could be without being noticed by the guests on the floor where the ceremony was held.

That’s why CEO Jeong, instead of being elsewhere, waited for Ijun in the bride’s waiting room. He had been receiving reports about Ijun’s movements from his aides entering periodically through the door.

With the groom’s immediate family unable to leave their positions, Ijun’s grandfather, Chairman Jeong, and Ijun’s mother remained in the designated seats. The only aide who had the last update on Ijun’s movements stayed beside CEO Jeong.

As Ijun entered the bride’s waiting room and the door closed, CEO Jeong stared fixedly at his son’s face without a hint of movement.

After a few moments, CEO Jeong rose from his seat and slowly approached Ijun.

“…We’ll start the ceremony in 40 minutes.”

He then stood in front, a couple of steps away from Ijun, keeping his gaze fixed on the aide who had been silently standing behind, and spoke.

“Get him ready.”

Checking the time on his wristwatch, the aide swiftly opened the door of the bride’s waiting room and exited.

There was urgency to get Ijun ready within the next 40 minutes for the ceremony. There was not enough time for clothes and groom makeup, and he instinctively sensed that there would be more demanding tasks than that.

As the aide left, CEO Jeong strode purposefully towards Ijun and forcefully swung his right hand.

“…”

With a smack, Ijun’s face turned to the side. CEO Jeong, glaring at Ijun as if he could kill him, raised his hand to strike again. Slowly turning his head, Ijun looked back at his father.

“We told the guests the excuse that the ceremony was delayed due to a collision on the way here. So, unless your purpose today is to make it your grandfather’s memorial day, don’t act recklessly anymore.”

In response, Ijun subtly lifted one corner of his mouth. This caused CEO Jeong’s eyebrows to furrow deeply.

There was no sign of remorse on Ijun’s face anywhere. It was an indecent behavior that even Gwihyeon couldn’t have imagined.

“I have told you several times, but you ignore it, Father.”

“I’ve told you several times not to use Gwihyeon as an excuse. To you, he’s your brother, but to me, he’s my child. Do you think our feelings… would be the same?”

CEO Jeong spoke through gritted teeth. For a while, it seemed that Ijun’s temperament had died down a lot, but it wasn’t. He had caused an enormous accident today that no one could match.

Upon hearing the news of the accident, Ijun wrapped up his work in the United States, returned home, and started working at the company immediately. He had also briefly alleviated his father’s distress by visiting Chairman Jeong every evening.

With clean handling of work and the ability to command subordinates appropriately, he had earned considerable trust from lower-level employees.

That’s why, when Ijun was promoted to the executive position in the fall, none of the executives objected unjustly. So, he felt secure and grateful, but today felt betrayed.

When he heard his father’s words about arranging a marriage with Siyeon, there were concerns. However, his father’s determination was firm, and he himself did not want Siyeon to be married off elsewhere. He thought that Siyeon, with her calm demeanor, would be a good match for the strong-willed Ijun.

“…What happened today is something you’ll owe to your wife for the rest of your life.”

“…”

At his words, Ijun’s gaze turned towards Siyeon.