Chapter 48

It was hard to pinpoint exactly what to say. Unable to answer right away, Yaein hesitated, and Gyeongju let out a deep sigh.  

“I’m not here by force. I’ve decided to try again with Taeheon.”  

Yaein hurriedly explained, but Gyeongju still looked dissatisfied.  

“Your help was really important. I’ve been meaning to reach out to thank you properly…”  

“Forget it.”  

Gyeongju waved her hand dismissively, cutting Yaein off.  

“Are you thinking of leaving Korea?”  

***

The sunset shifted from orange to shades of lavender and morning glory. The pale violet hues spread across the sky.  

Yaein sat in a spot where she could enjoy both the sky and the sea, lost in thought. She leaned on her arm, her hair falling loosely, feeling heavy with countless worries.  

Maybe it was because she had too much on her mind. Her head felt burdened, as if it were weighed down by her thoughts.  

From outside came the sound of a car. Yaein lifted her head.  

Once again, there was no sign of the door opening even after a while. Yaein stepped outside first and made her way to the garage.  

“You’re back?”  

Taeheon, who was unloading the trunk, looked at her. Even from a distance, the car seemed stuffed with luggage.  

“What’s all that?”  

“The clothes you asked for… and some other things.”  

Boxes were balanced on Taeheon’s shoulder, with shopping bags hanging from his wrists. Just hearing “some other things” made Yaein worry about what kind of mess awaited her.  

“Let me help. Let’s carry it together.”  

“It’s not heavy.”  

Despite the mountain of bags, Taeheon walked lightly, giving Yaein no chance to grab even one bag.  

Yaein trailed behind him, sighing as she unpacked the bags. As expected, instead of bringing things from the house, it looked like Taeheon had gone on a full-fledged shopping spree.  

“Taeheon, all of this stuff is brand new.”  

“I didn’t have time to stop by the house.”  

“Still…”  

All she had asked for was her old shawl, but it had turned into a huge ordeal.  

The new clothes in the shopping bags were one thing, but why had he bought a handbag? Taeheon seemed to notice Yaein’s puzzled expression and explained.  

“I thought it would suit you.”  

“…”  

“You never know when it might come in handy.”  

Yaein tilted her head, still confused. In a secluded place like this, who would even see her carrying it?  

The other items were just as perplexing. Luxury goods mixed with daily necessities—groceries and fruits, plus several bottles of supplements despite already having plenty from the last trip.  

The shelf was going to overflow with vitamins at this rate. The house was already warm enough, yet he brought a portable heater.  

“What’s that over there?”  

Yaein pointed to a large bundle wrapped in brown kraft paper and tied with string.  

“Snacks.”

Taeheon untied the string himself. As the paper was pulled away, neatly wrapped snacks appeared one by one. Inside the box, bearing the label of a famous bakery, were an abundance of cookies and cakes.  

Yaein picked up a madeleine and fiddled with it.  

“This is way too much.”  

“I didn’t know what you’d want to eat. Just throw away what you don’t like.”  

Among the assorted snacks were some that Yaein liked and some she didn’t.  

In the past, she might have mistaken this for Taeheon’s usual thoughtlessness. Yaein was the type of person who found joy in someone remembering her favorite treat among many.  

But now she saw that Taeheon was simply clumsy. It was like a child trying to impress someone by bringing them an armful of gifts.  

Everything here was, in its own way, a form of his affection.  

Yaein picked up a cookie she normally wouldn’t eat and took a bite.  

Fortunately, it went down without any discomfort. Her morning sickness had improved a lot lately.  

“It’s good.”  

As she praised it while finishing off the small cookie, Taeheon’s expression brightened noticeably.  

Was he always like this—so easily swayed by her words and actions? If that was the case and she hadn’t noticed, it almost felt unfair.  

Yaein wondered why Taeheon’s expressions had suddenly become so readable. Was it that she had gotten better at understanding him, or was he unconsciously showing his feelings more openly? Maybe it was both.  

Whatever the reason, she could finally read him now. The man who once seemed like he spoke a foreign language was now someone she could finally understand.  

And she liked that.  

Another box contained picture books. Different-sized, colorful books were packed tightly together.  

“You bought books too.”  

“You said you wanted them.”  

“You bought them for me?”  

“The baby’s still got a long way to go before they start reading.”  

Taeheon responded as if it was the most natural thing in the world.  

Everything here was for Yaein. She could have felt a little sad that he wasn’t thinking of the baby, but instead, she saw the good in his actions first.  

He had said he didn’t have time to stop by the house, but just imagining him going from shop to shop to pick all these things was amusing.  

No matter where he went, Taeheon always attracted attention. How must he have looked to others—this towering man, gathering piles of picture books?  

Suddenly, she felt a craving for something sweet. Reaching into the box of snacks, her hand found a box of chocolates.  

“Do you want some too?”

Yaein held out a chocolate shaped like a seashell. Taeheon lowered his head to take it directly from her hand. A line formed between his eyebrows, and the muscles in his jaw tensed as if he were forcing himself to chew it down rather than savoring it. It looked almost comical—he could have just spit it out if he hated it that much.  

“Is it too sweet?”  

Yaein burst out laughing.  

Taeheon quietly looked at her and whispered,  

“Too sweet.”  

Yaein was about to say that she would just eat the rest herself when she suddenly closed her mouth. Taeheon’s face was right up close to hers.  

Their lips brushed gently. As Taeheon leaned in for a kiss, Yaein lightly pushed him away. Taeheon stiffened, his expression locked in a battle between restraint and desire. She could tell he was holding himself back.  

“Do you want to kiss me?”  

Yaein asked playfully, trying to hide her embarrassment.  

Taeheon didn’t answer with words. Instead, he just looked at her without blinking. His sharp, intimidating gaze softened slightly, making his eyes appear even longer and more intense. The heat in his gaze made Yaein’s toes curl.  

She raised herself on her tiptoes, straining her big toe as she almost hung from his neck just to reach his lips. The moment they kissed, Taeheon flinched. But he didn’t stop—soon, their lips parted, and the kiss deepened, their tongues intertwining. There was a bittersweet taste left behind—better than the chocolate.  

“Thank you.”  

Taeheon’s expression grew disoriented. The inner conflict that had paused for a moment flared up again—whether to endure or give in.  

They had done much more intimate things before, countless times. Yet Yaein couldn’t understand why a simple kiss was making him so dizzy.  

Or maybe she did understand.  

Pretending not to know, she loosened her arms from around him.  

“You’re going to shower, right?”  

Taeheon touched his lips, trying to rein in his lingering desire. His face was flushed with a hint of *rousal.  

“I’ll just sort out the car and then wash up. You can rest.”  

He spoke hastily and went outside.  

Once left alone, the thoughts that had been pushed back earlier came flooding in again. Yaein couldn’t help but replay the meeting with Gyeongju in her head. Since then, her mind had been in a constant state of turmoil.  

[“The atmosphere doesn’t look good. You should get out of Korea for a while before things get worse.”]

After letting Yaein into the back seat, Gyeongju lowered her voice and spoke calmly.  

[“If you decide to go abroad, I’ll make all the preparations. I’ll arrange a place for you to stay where you can have the baby and recover comfortably. I’ll even make sure you have someone local to take care of you, so you won’t have to worry about anything.”]

There was one thing Gyeongju didn’t explain—why all this was necessary.  

[“You’re trying to reconcile with Taeheon because of the baby, right? You don’t want to be in a place where the baby might be in danger.”]

As she said that, Gyeongju still held the ultrasound photo in her hand.

It was unclear why Gyeongju insisted on leaving, but Yaein knew one thing for sure—her mother-in-law wasn’t the type to come all this way just to scold her. Yaein trusted Gyeongju.  

“What about Taeheon?”  

When Yaein asked, Gyeongju put her sunglasses back on.  

“It’s dangerous because of Taeheon. Don’t even think about moving together.”  

Yaein licked the remaining chocolate off her lips. It was bitter yet sweet, with a lingering taste of Taeheon.  

What should she do?  

If she had to choose between the baby and her husband…  

***

The night here was exceptionally dark. Streetlights and buildings were sparse, leaving little light to rely on.  

Once Taeheon left the house where his wife was, the path quickly turned dangerously dim. Yet he moved through the shadows with practiced ease, not stumbling even once.  

Far off, he saw a faint red glow—a tiny flame that flickered bright red before turning into a wisp of smoke.  

Taeheon moved silently, approaching from behind without making a sound. The man didn’t notice a thing until it was too late.  

Taeheon wrapped his arm around the man’s neck, tightening his grip with an eerie calm.  

“You shouldn’t be spying on someone else’s spouse,” he hissed.  

The man jolted in terror, his body trembling against Taeheon’s hold. Unfazed by the man’s struggle, Taeheon continued his interrogation.  

“Answer me. Was this my father’s order?”  

No reply. The man seemed too busy calculating whether to spill the truth or keep his mouth shut. Taeheon tightened his arm, cutting off the man’s air.  

A strangled gasp escaped, and the man’s feet lifted off the ground as his struggling hands lost strength. Taeheon finally released him just before he passed out.  

“Guh… haah…!”  

The man collapsed to the ground, limbs flailing. Taeheon planted his shoe on the man’s back, pinning him down like a bug skewered with a needle.  

Once the man stopped writhing, Taeheon bent down to look him in the eye. The man, now dirt-stained and trembling, cautiously met Taeheon’s gaze.  

“What exactly does the Chairman want?”  

Taeheon asked gently, lowering his voice as if he were trying to coax a frightened animal. It was essential to speak quietly—any loud noise would echo through the still night.  

The man stammered, desperately searching for an excuse.  

“He… he just wanted to check if the young master and his wife were doing well… That’s all! You know, with the trouble on the China side lately… and the incident with the young madam…”  

It was a poor excuse. Taeheon knew that his father wouldn’t go out of his way to protect Yaein—quite the opposite, actually.  

“Keep your voice down. You don’t want to be overheard. Don’t get startled.”  

“W-What?”  

Before the man could make sense of the warning, Taeheon grabbed his finger and twisted it violently. A thick, guttural scream erupted from the man’s throat.  

Damn. Someone must have heard that. Taeheon noticed the light flick on at the house entrance and clicked his tongue.  

“Quiet.”