Se-hyeon slowly skimmed through the report materials that Tae-hoon had given him earlier.

Recently, Yoo Ji-an’s behaviour had seemed oddly suspicious, and he couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was going on.

Since their marriage, he had never paid much attention to what she did during the day or what her routine was like.

He hadn’t asked, and she hadn’t offered the information.

Her days were predictable anyway. They would have breakfast together in the morning, and then she would usually spend time with Seong-rim.

Occasionally, she’d go out to a gathering or social event.

Even then, he only listened when she brought it up first — he never bothered to ask about it himself.

But now—

“She withdrew fifty million won.”

Se-hyeon’s eyes narrowed sharply. A few days ago, Ji-an had withdrawn fifty million won from her account.

There were only a few reasons why she would need that much money. One possibility was her younger brother Ji-min’s hospital bills. Or her grandmother’s care home fees.

But he had taken care of all those costs himself. There was no need for her to worry about them.

Now that her entire family was gone, she had even less reason to need such a large sum.

“So, what did she do with that money?”

He flipped the A4 pages with a swift motion, his gaze sharp as he glanced toward Tae-hoon, who stood in front of him.

“It seems… she met with a man named Yoo Jung-ho.”

“Yoo Jung-ho?”

His brow furrowed at the unfamiliar name.

“He’s Madam Ji-an’s older brother — the one she said was out of contact.”

Ah! Now that he had heard it, the memory came back to him faintly.

Ji-an had told him once that she had an older brother. But as far as he could remember, the man had left home years ago and hadn’t been in touch since. And now, all of a sudden?

“So the person she met after withdrawing the money was her brother.”

“Yes, that’s correct. After the withdrawal, she went straight to a sundae soup restaurant near the market and met with Mr. Yoo Jung-ho. We’re assuming she gave the money to him.”

“…Honestly.”

‘What a dramatic life she leads.’

A faint sigh escaped Se-hyeon’s lips. He had thought that, with everything finally settling down after all the pain she had endured, her life might finally be getting easier.

But now her brother had returned, bringing new trouble with him after disappearing without a trace.

What other reason could she have for withdrawing such a large sum of money?

“And, we also found evidence that the elder madam met with Mr Yoo Jung-ho.”

“Who met with whom?”

At the unexpected mention of Yang Jin-hee, Se-hyeon’s expression stiffened. He couldn’t make sense of what he’d just heard.

“We’ve confirmed that Madam Yang met with Yoo Jung-ho privately a few months ago.”

“When was this?”

“Roughly two months ago.”

“…Is that all?”

“For now, yes. That’s everything we’ve uncovered so far. I’ll continue tracing any earlier meetings they may have had, and also look into Madam Yang’s account activity. I’ll report back once I have more.”

“You’ve done well.”

With a respectful bow, Tae-hoon exited the office.

Se-hyeon leaned back in his chair and returned his eyes to the documents spread before him.

So, Yoo Jung-ho had met with Yang Jin-hee. And just days ago, he’d also met with Yoo Ji-an.

What business would those two possibly have with each other? They came from completely different worlds. No overlap. No common ground.

The whole thing reeked of suspicion.

“I want a divorce.”

“…Divorce.”

And in the midst of it all, Ji-an had come to him, asking to end their marriage. Saying she couldn’t do it anymore.

A cold feeling settled in his chest.

It felt like he was missing something—something important. This didn’t seem like coincidence.

His thoughts drifted back to Ji-an’s recent behavior, every small detail he’d brushed aside until now. There was a pattern. And now, for the first time, Se-hyeon was finally beginning to notice it.

***

“Dear.”

“Yes, Grandma?”

At the sound of her name, Ji-an responded right away, turning her head toward Seong-rim.

Just moments ago, Seong-rim had been reading a book in her wheelchair, but now the book lay closed in her lap as she watched Ji-an intently.

“Do you need anything?”
With a puzzled expression on her face, Ji-an continued to wipe the dust off the nearby orchid with a towel.

“That boy… has he been treating you well lately?”

She was clearly referring to Se-hyeon when she said ‘that boy’. Ji-an had heard that Seong-rim had practically raised Se-hyeon, as Joo Sang-ah’s poor health had made it difficult for her to care for him properly. Because of this, Seong-rim’s affection for Se-hyeon ran deeper than anyone else’s.

“Of course.”

Ji-an offered a faint smile as she answered.

“He does.”

But Seong-rim still looked unconvinced, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

“Don’t lie to me.”

“I’m not lying.”

“I may not know everything about what’s in your heart, but I’ve been watching you every day for three years now.”

Although Seong-rim could be sharp-tongued and gruff, Ji-an had come to recognise the sincerity behind her words.

She knew that beneath her curt exterior, Seong-rim was genuinely concerned that her taciturn grandson might not be treating his wife properly.

“You think I didn’t notice? That you cried that day because of him?”

Ji-an simply smiled in response, without saying a word.

To say that she had never felt lonely since marrying Se-hyeon would have been a lie. Perhaps foolishly, she’d hoped that, as husband and wife, they could open up to each other and that he would support her through hard times.

She’d spent so much of her life enduring things alone.

He was so gentle and convincing when performing in public. But when it was just the two of them behind closed doors, he showed little interest.

He never asked her where she had been, what she had done or how her day had been.

At first, she would still tell him — giving him short updates when he came home from work.

But at some point, she stopped doing even that.

“I really am okay. Nothing’s wrong.”

In six more months, even her connection with Seong-rim would come to an end.

The thought left her feeling strangely hollow.

She hadn’t realised how much she had come to rely on Seong-rim, or how comforting it had been to have someone — anyone — who seemed to notice when she was struggling, even when she didn’t say anything.

“If there’s nothing wrong between you two, then why haven’t you had a child yet?”

“……”

A child.

At that word, Ji-an’s expression subtly stiffened.

This was the first time that Seong-rim had brought up the subject. Until now, she had never once pressured Ji-an about having a baby.

However, after Ji-an clung to her in tears that day, it seemed the older woman suspected that all was not well in their relationship.

“There wasn’t anything in the contract… about children.”
“I didn’t include it because I didn’t plan on having any.”

He had never wanted children. Even during the initial discussions about the contract, this had been a topic left unspoken. She didn’t know why. She’d never asked.

But after he told her he would stop using protection, Se-hyeon kept his word, never wavering once.

Even last night, when he held her for what felt like hours… The memory made her cheeks grow warm with a sudden flush.

“Are you sure he doesn’t have another woman on the side?”

Seong-rim narrowed her eyes, her voice heavy with suspicion.

Startled, Ji-an quickly lifted her head.

“No. It’s not like that.”

That was what she said, but the truth was that she couldn’t be sure. The truth was that she hardly knew anything about Woo Se-hyeon.

“He saw with his own eyes how his father lived, so he certainly won’t make the same mistake. He knows better than anyone how much his mother suffered.”

Tsk, tsk.

Seong-rim clicked her tongue and let out a heavy sigh. Over time, Ji-an had also heard snippets about Se-hyeon’s family from Seong-rim.

A mother who passed away from illness. A father who had already been having an affair before her death.

The moment his wife died, Yang Jin-hee moved in without delay.

So Ji-an understood, at least to some extent, why Se-hyeon had been so furious — why he had reacted so badly to the idea of her conspiring with Yang Jin-hee.

Even if it was all a misunderstanding. Even if the accusation had hurt more than she could say.

“You should try to get pregnant soon. Having a child brings a couple closer — it strengthens the bond between husband and wife.”

If she got pregnant now…

Everyone would think she had planned it with Yang Jin-hee.

“What if I end up pregnant?”
“Then, for the crime of deceiving me… you’ll never see the child. Not for the rest of your life.”

That sharp gaze. That icy voice. The pure contempt on his face.

His words echoed in her mind like a curse.

Even if she did become pregnant, she wasn’t sure she could ever tell him.

Ji-an’s gaze sank, shadowed by silence.

***

“The CEO is in a meeting at the moment, so please wait here for a moment.”

Yoo Jung-ho, who had followed him in, nodded slightly and flashed a thin, crooked smile.

“Well, he’s a busy man. Makes sense that the idle guy does the waiting.”

“What would you like to drink?”

“Have you got any expensive cars? Something flashy. You know, the kind that turns heads.”

Tae-hoon looked visibly perplexed by this bizarre answer, but Jung-ho suddenly let out a loud laugh and patted the chief secretary on the shoulder in an overly familiar manner.

“Kidding, kidding. Just bring me something cold. Sweet, like one of those instant coffees. With lots of ice.”

“I’ll prepare it for you.”

Tae-hoon replied curtly, bowing before leaving the room.

Now alone in the CEO’s office, Jung-ho looked around slowly, the corners of his lips curling with amusement.

“Damn. Fancy as hell.”

It certainly lived up to its name — the Executive Suite. Its luxurious interior exuded power and prestige.

“My little Ji-an really made it, huh? Married into a place like this…”

He couldn’t stop the smirk spreading across his face. The thought that he finally had a steady income was enough to make him giddy.

As he approached the grand desk, which radiated authority, he reached out and ran his finger across the gleaming nameplate.

CEO – Woo Se-hyeon.

“So my sister’s married to the CEO? And she only gave me five million?”

How much more could he squeeze out of them?

The thought alone made him grin in anticipation.

But just as he was entertaining this idea, the office door swung open.