At the Han mansion, a family lunch settled. Staff were almost flying across the black polished floor. The whole Han family once again gathered after a year. Han Bae, the strong pillar of the Han Sol Group and family, was sitting at the head of the table.
"Is he still not here?" the elder Son, Perth, asked with a straight face.
"He'll be here in no time." Ms.Han replied, the only daughter and named after her great-grandmother, Han Sol.
"Always an excuse." Perth scoffed.
"Reasons are not excuses." Jihoon's voice echoed through the room as he entered in a black suit. He greeted his father, Han Bae, and took his seat.
In a moment, lunch started to feel like a boardroom.
"Once a year, and you still never made it on time." Sasithorn, Han Bae's wife, sneered.
"I got stuck in some work," Jihoon replied calmly.
"Like we don't have work to do?" Perth interrupted, raising his brows. "Don't try to show off. The company or name you build is all because of mom and dad, who supported you."
Jihoon remained silent and focused on his meal, taking small bites.
"Does snake have your tongue?" Sisathorn snapped, "For useless things in the media, you have the penalty of words." She leaned forward slightly, "Show some respect, I am your mother."
Mother
One word made it hard for Jihoon to swallow his food. "You are not my mother." He said, hung his head low. Sisathorn put down his cutlery and started crying dramatically.
"Look at this kid," she wailed. "I gave him love and the rights of being a son. Even though he is imperfect, I never differentiate between him and Perth."
Her every word made Jihoon's grip tightened on the glass. He glanced at Han Bae. But his father didn't utter a word, not in defense nor to stop them.
"Your mother died paying for your sin, and you now want me dead, too."
Jihoon's grip tightened on the glass.
Crack!
It broke into pieces like his heart.
"Enough!" Jihoon stood abruptly. Blood was flowing, and his hand was shaking in agony. In anger.
"You have no right to say anything about my mother. I was always a stone in your way. Now, I am kicked out. What more do you want?" He slammed the table with a bleeding hand. Han Bae noticed blood on the table.
"Enough, all of you." Han Bae said in a cold voice. "Jihoon, respect elders."
Jihoon looked at him in disbelief. A tear escaped that had been held for too long.
He pressed the bell. The chef came inside.
"Thank you for your effort!" He said to the chef politely and left.
Jeon Empire was a rustle and a bustle. Some employees were drowned in files and systems, and others' feet clicking on the polished white marble.
Jeon-Woo's office was covered in a black theme and faint light. There's a glass wall at the back of his desk covered in black curtains, lilies carved with red thread on it.
Jeon-Woo was checking the new desk, just arranged beside his, when he heard a knock on the door.
"Come in," Jeon-Woo said without paying attention.
Ji Min entered after her secretary, dressed in a crisp white tailored suit, perfectly elegant.
"Hello, Mr. Woo!" She waved a hand at him and paused. Her gaze moved to every corner of the room. Jeon-Woo lifted up his head to witness chaos.
Ji Min looked at her secretary,
"Turn on all the lights," she ordered.
"Wait...what are you doing?" Jeon-Woo stepped forward. But Ji Min remained focused on her business and kept directing her secretary, who was following with the speed of light, "open curtains, change room freshener, remove flowers...and," she moved towards the newly arranged table, "is it Seo-Yeon's table?" She finally looked at Jeon-Woo, who rolled up his eyes, "Yes."
"Examine this properly." She pointed at the desk. Secretary checked the desk thoroughly, "All good, JM," he said.
"What's all this?" Jeon-Woo's voice rose a bit.
"You shouldn't be asking her that." Seo-Yeon entered the room, dressed in a fitted black blazer with silver buttons, paired with straight-cut trousers, her hair neatly tied. Calm.
Their eyes locked, but the stare wasn't soft; instead, a killing one.
"Sorry to bother you, Ji Min." She turned to her."You never bother me. I love to do it." Ji Min smiled with crescent eyes, "Fighting!" She left.
Seo-Yeon strolled towards the glass wall, observing plain view.
"No sense of exterior design." She murmured loud enough to be heard.
"Huh?" Jeon-Woo frowned.
"What's all this? And who allows you to make changes in my space?" he growled, stepping forward.
He hates the most the interruption in his privacy, being threatened, and getting hurt by his family. Seo-Yeon turned and stepped closer to him, just one hand's distance.
"Wasn't it you?" she said with a straight face.
"Pardon?" Jeon-Woo's brows knitted. Seo-Yeon smirked, and it wasn't random, but one shouting a victory.
"Someone was so deliberate to work with me," she sat on her chair, and swirled. "Wishes come true with paying, Mr. Woo." Her voice was calm, but her words were filled with taunts. Above board, her smirk was adding fuel to the fire.
Jeon-Woo shut his eyes and took a deep breath.
Calm down, Jeon-Woo. She clearly knows how to get on people's nerves.
He smiled and turned to his desk, "Feel like your home." He said before diving into files.
Seo-Yeon's gaze was still fixed on him. You really think that if you bring me here, you win? No one can force me, and I'll make sure that you regret every day.
Jeon-Woo glanced at her through a file. Try as much as you want. Little sacrifices are worth it if they can bring Kim's downfall. His eyes turned dark as the corner of his mouth curled up.
Meanwhile, Jihoon was getting his wound dressed in the hospital emergency department.
"Hey, that Kim Rahae is so heatless. She didn't even visit that secretary who almost got killed while saving her," a slop-shoulder nurse whispered.
"But she paid her bills to stay in the hospital for a month." Another nurse replied while treating Jihoon's wound.
"Does Bar Nin... I mean, Secretary Kim has not discharged yet?" Jihoon interrupted.
"Um...sir," Nurse hesitated a bit.
"She's my friend. Do I look like a bad person?" Jihoon made a little pout and blinked his eyes twice.
"How cute?" Nurse's eyes sparkled, she continued, "She isn't discharged yet. She's so grumpy, she didn't even smile at the nurse who took care of her all day."
Jihoon chukled, "That's like her."
Jihoon murmured, already turning toward the door.