Chapter 39 – I Was Wrong

*Shoo, shoooo… bang! Bang, bang!*  

On a dark night, the restaurant on the ship was steeped in a festive atmosphere. As fireworks began to explode, Eom So-yeon leaned against the railing at the bow of the ship, gazing blankly at the colorful bursts painting the dark sky.  

Even amidst this, Tae Seo-jun’s gaze was fixed on her, standing beside him. Feeling his eyes on her face, So-yeon turned to look at him.  

“Why are you only looking at me? Don’t you like fireworks?”  

“……”  

Because the one I love is you, Eom So-yeon. No matter how dazzling something is, nothing could be more beautiful than you.  

Tae Seo-jun, simply happy in this moment of watching her smiling brightly, lifted the corners of his lips slightly.  

Those lips…  

Those handsome lips that endlessly tempt me…  

Unconsciously, So-yeon reached out toward Seo-jun’s face. At that moment, his alluring lips curved into an exquisitely elegant smile.  

Like the incessantly exploding fireworks, So-yeon’s heart pounded uncontrollably—*thump, thump*. However, it wasn’t just excitement; it was a different kind of pounding, one that she tried hard to ignore.  

Should I just say it?  

If he finds out that Hyun-woo is his child, how will this man react? Will he get angry first? Will he laugh in disbelief because it’s so absurd? Or will he criticize me, saying he doesn’t like me anymore?  

He’s someone who’s probably never experienced being wronged in his life.  

Then what should I do? Should I beg for forgiveness, pleading that I was wrong? Or should I give up on everything altogether?  

Fear gripped her before she could even begin to speak. So-yeon gazed at Seo-jun with sorrowful eyes, unable to look away.  

And then, at some point—  

“!”  

In the blink of an eye, his smooth lips brushed against her forehead.  

“What was that?”  

“I couldn’t help it. You’re so beautiful that I had to at least…”  

*Peck!*

In an instant, So-yeon rose on her tiptoes and kissed Seo-jun on the lips, as if to silence him.  

“What… does that mean?”  

So-yeon could now feel it. 

The fiery gaze that only looked at her.  

The warm hands that always prioritized her, no matter where they were.  

The consistent confessions of love and the sincere attitude that followed.  

Right now, this man was shaking her not with any calculation, but with pure sincerity. He was colliding with her whole being, conveying his desperate feelings to her.  

“I… I couldn’t help it either. You’re just so handsome…”  

Seo-jun gently held her slender chin, drawing her wandering gaze toward him. His large hand cupped the back of her round head, pulling her face closer to his.  

His warm breath enveloped her, and the refined scent of woody musk filled her senses. Startled, her widened eyes were filled entirely with Tae Seo-jun’s face. In this moment, So-yeon, not wanting to let go, closed her eyes.  

The grand finale of fireworks lit up the night sky in vibrant colors, decorating the kiss between the two under the dark heavens.  

***

Tae Seo-jun, upon returning to the mansion, immediately led Eom So-yeon upstairs.  

His pace was somewhat hurried.  

Once inside his room, Seo-jun gazed into her large, beautiful eyes for a moment. Her big, innocent eyes sparkled brightly.  

Slowly, Seo-jun kissed her small lips. The slight trembling he felt was intoxicatingly sweet. Tonight, more than ever, he didn’t want to let go of Eom So-yeon. He couldn’t stop.  

Trapped between him and the wall, So-yeon’s chest heaved as she gasped for breath, her arms and legs curling inwards.  

“T-this is too fast…!”  

“Have you not thought that it’s already too late? Eom So-yeon, you’re in big trouble now.”  

His declaration was electrifying.  

Seo-jun’s lips wandered over her face, teasing and caressing. He would brush against her lightly, then pull away, only to press his lips again, leaving sweet marks wherever they landed.  

“……”  

Isn’t this… something lovers do…

Oh, whatever.

I don’t care anymore.

The kiss, so tender and sweet that the word “soft” didn’t do it justice, made So-yeon feel as though she could happily melt away into nothingness. Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst.  

With a faint crease forming between his brows, Seo-jun sucked on her luscious lips deeply. At that moment, her skirt lifted slightly.  

The buttons of her blouse were undone one by one, starting from her neck, his fingers betraying his impatience. Wherever his touch passed, his warm breath inevitably followed.  

But it was only for a moment. As Seo-jun’s face drew closer to hers, something flashed through So-yeon’s mind like a racing lantern.  

The El Stella Hotel.  

The place Tae Seo-jun used as if it were his own home.  

The portrait of his father, smiling kindly.  

The face of the man in that painting had lingered in her mind, feeling familiar. And now, So-yeon finally realized that it perfectly matched the face of Chairman Tae Seok-ho, frequently featured in economic news.  

Yes, that’s it! That man is the younger version of Chairman Tae Seok-ho! Which means Tae Seo-jun is his son!  

Suddenly, as if the fog in her mind had cleared, her thoughts plunged into chaos once more. Memories of conversations between her older sister and mother from her childhood surfaced abruptly.  

‘Why did the El Stella Hotel send Dad a birthday cake?’  

‘Chairman Tae sent it under the hotel’s name. He said he couldn’t rest easy without sending at least a cake since your dad refused other gifts.’

‘Was Chairman Tae that close to Dad?’  

‘Yes, they were. Around the time you were born, your dad performed a transplant surgery for him and became his personal doctor. Since then, Chairman Tae has trusted your dad deeply.’ 

The towering figure of the chaebol world, Chairman Tae Seok-ho, known to every Korean, was Tae Seo-jun’s biological father. And her father wasn’t just casually acquainted with Chairman Tae—he had a significant relationship with him.

That truth, which had been pressing down on her all this time, suddenly came back to her at this exact moment.

“Wait, hold on!”

Snapping back to her senses, So-yeon grabbed Seo-jun’s hand as he reached for the last button on her blouse.

“……?”

Was this how a predator would react when its prey was snatched away? Seo-jun, his hand stopped mid-motion, growled slightly, raising one eyebrow in frustration.

He had kissed her forehead, but she had been the one to kiss his lips first. The kisses that followed had flowed naturally, and her actions had clearly signaled that she wouldn’t resist anymore. So why was she saying no now?

“Weren’t you going to accept me?”

So-yeon hurriedly adjusted her disheveled clothes and said,

“Yes, I was. Until just a moment ago, I was so shaken that I was about to give in to you, Tae Seo-jun. But now, I don’t think I can.”

“Why!”

“I-I’m sorry. But no, really! Anyway, I’ll just… leave now.”

Even if he thought of her as a fickle woman, there was nothing So-yeon could do about it. As soon as she finished speaking, she hurriedly left the master room.

“Ha…!”

She does whatever she pleases, lifting me up and dropping me down as she likes!

This growing hunger, this insatiable longing that only intensifies with time—will it only stop when I die? What is it about that tiny woman that I just can’t seem to escape from?

Tae Seo-jun, recalling the times he couldn’t forget Eom So-yeon and the recent days when he had no choice but to cling to her, tried hard to mask his angry expression with a neutral one as he strode into the bathroom.

He was flustered by being rejected by Eom So-yeon yet again, and he was determined to cool his rising frustration with some cold water.

But that didn’t mean he was tired of Eom So-yeon.

It was just that he was a bit bewildered by how difficult it was to win over one woman’s heart.

***

Eom So-yeon had her reasons for suddenly pushing Tae Seo-jun away.

Today, she had resolved to accept Tae Seo-jun and confess everything she had been hiding.

But just as she was about to be honest, she realized why the portrait hanging on the central staircase had been bothering her all along.

She had thought his father’s face looked somewhat familiar, and today, she finally remembered who he was.

She hadn’t expected him to be part of the top-ranked chaebol family. A simple chaebol was one thing, but the El Stella Group was on a completely different level. It wasn’t a matter that could be resolved just because Seo-jun accepted her.

Returning to her room, So-yeon bit her lower lip nervously and stared blankly for a while. Then, trembling, she picked up the phone and called her parents in Canada.

– Mom?

“Did our Hyun-woo have dinner?”

– Yes. Grandma said I have to grow big and strong to go to Korea, so I ate a lot.

“Good job, my sweet baby! When you come to the house in Seoul, Mom will make lots of your favorite things. What do you want to eat the most?”

– Hehe, I ove everything you make, Mom.

“Alright. Just tell me, and I’ll make anything for you.”

So-yeon barely held back the tears that welled up and, after a moment of pause, spoke again.

“Hyun-woo, where’s Grandpa?”

– Grandpa’s next to me. Wait a moment, Mom.

As Hyun-woo passed the phone, a warm voice greeted her.

– It’s Dad, So-yeon.

So-yeon casually exchanged pleasantries and subtly brought up Chairman Tae.

“Dad, you know Chairman Tae Seok-ho of El Stella Hotel, right?”

– Yes, I do. Why?

“Oh, a friend studying economics mentioned him in their thesis, and I got curious. What kind of person is he? I mean, his personality or values.”

– Haha, well, in a word, he’s a good man. But having built such immense wealth, he’s also incredibly cold and precise—traits ordinary people can’t even imitate. If he decides something is wrong, he’s ruthless. When he sets his mind to something, there’s nothing he can’t do. Above all, his sharp insight is extraordinary. Do you want me to tell you more?

“No, it’s okay, Dad.”

After the call with her father, So-yeon’s thoughts became even more tangled and deep.

When she first saw the portrait and realized he was a chaebol heir, she had felt the distance between herself and Tae Seo-jun, knowing they came from different worlds. But that alone wasn’t enough for her to completely cut him out of her heart. So, she found the courage to dream of becoming Tae Seo-jun’s woman.

But she had been wrong.

To have him, to become his woman, was not an easy task. If it were just about Seo-jun, maybe, but his family’s interests were also involved. It wasn’t something she could take lightly.

The fact that his family was a chaebol was intimidating enough. Still, she had held onto hope that since Tae Seo-jun liked her, he might warmly accept the child as well. But after hearing about Chairman Tae Seok-ho, So-yeon realized the truth.

The fear that she might lose her child gripped her. She couldn’t help but imagine the worst-case scenario: opposition from both his parents and hers.

What if Chairman Tae decided to take the child away? What if he used his immense wealth and power to separate me from my child?

No! That can’t happen!

The thought of being separated from her child was unbearable.

So, So-yeon had no choice but to push Seo-jun away. It wasn’t easy, but if she had to choose between her child and the child’s father, the decision was obvious.

With a thud, her knees hit the floor. Her head soon followed, bowing down.

Lying on the floor, So-yeon didn’t move for a long time.

Her frail shoulders shook uncontrollably as she silently sobbed, unable to suppress the overwhelming sadness.

***

– Is it true that I sent you all to Cadiz and stayed behind with a woman?

“Yes, Chairman.”

– I see. I’ll look into this myself.

“There’s no need for that… Hello? Hello?!”

The call abruptly ended mid-sentence.

Manager Bong sighed as he threw his phone onto the table and flopped down on the mattress. Shaking his head, he stared at the ceiling, blinking slowly.

Park Seong-ho, who had been watching Manager Bong from the other bed, asked,

“That was Chairman Tae, wasn’t it?”

“Yes. He already knew everything but still called to confirm, so there was no point denying it.”

“Haha… Does the chaebol family really monitor each other like that?”

“…”

It wasn’t just the family. Even those around them, like himself, weren’t spared from being closely scrutinized. Manager Bong gave Park Seong-ho a sullen look, as if to ask why he was even bringing this up when he already knew. Seong-ho nodded emphatically in response.

“Of course, I know. But you should still be careful. If Director Tae finds out you’re two-timing, I have a feeling you won’t come out of it unscathed.”

“You better watch yourself too. I’ll probably be the first to go, but you’ll be next.”

“That’s unfair. All I did was overhear things.”

“But you’re not going to report it to the Director, are you?”

“Of course not. How could I? I rely on and admire you, Manager Bong.”

“Exactly.”

“By the way, don’t you think Chairman Tae might faint soon?”

It was clear to both Park Seong-ho and Manager Bong that it was only a matter of time before Eom So-yeon’s personal information would be thoroughly investigated without anyone noticing.

“Last time, it was fortunate that Director Tae handled things in advance. Remember how furious Chairman Tae was when he found out about Yoo Jung-hwa’s situation later?”

“Get your facts straight. He only raged at me. To the Director, he acted as if he didn’t know anything and didn’t even scold him once.”

“This time, the situation’s a bit different, isn’t it? If he finds out there’s a child involved, how do you think he’ll react?”

It was exactly as they said. Eom So-yeon was a single mother, and her relationship with Tae Seo-jun had only just begun. Manager Bong couldn’t help but worry that Chairman Tae’s wrath might soon descend, especially since this was the first time he had seen Tae Seo-jun so completely infatuated with a woman.

“Got any beer?”

“Of course. I practically cleaned out the mart in front of the hotel earlier.”

At Manager Bong’s question, Park Seong-ho quickly moved to the refrigerator and pulled out an assortment of beer cans, as if he had been waiting for this moment.

The frustrating reality was that while the higher-ups caused the problems, it was always the subordinates who had to clean up the mess. Still, thanks to their boss’s romance, they had been able to enjoy two days of rest. And until tomorrow afternoon, they were free.

“Should we order some snacks too?”

“They say even ghosts who die after eating well look good.”

“Sounds great!”

The two men, as if preparing for a last supper, went all out and ordered a lavish spread through room service.