The CEO’s Hidden Wife

Chapter 16

Raina’s POV

Recognition hit me a second later.

And suddenly, despite the hospital lights and exhaustion and everything else crushing down on me…

My eyes widened too.

“Park?”

A sharp laugh almost escaped him.

“Wow,” he muttered, shaking his head once. “You actually still remember me.”

Of course I remembered him.

How could I not?

Seo Park.

The most terrifyingly competent man our mentor had ever trained.

The man who once dismantled an entire acquisition proposal in under twenty minutes because he found “three embarrassing flaws” in it.

The man executives twice his age feared sitting across from during negotiations.

The same man currently staring at me with visible concern in his eyes.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

And just like that, memories came rushing back so fast it almost hurt.

Years ago…

Before Harrison.

Before marriage.

Before I traded ambition for love.

There had been six of us under our mentor.

Five senior protégés.

And me.

The youngest.

The only woman.

The one everyone called terrifying behind her back because I could predict market shifts faster than some analysts twice my age.

Back then, I had lived on caffeine, adrenaline, and impossible goals.

I used to sleep in conference rooms.

Argue with CEOs twice my age.

Win.

Again and again.

And Park…

Park had always been the calmest among all of them.

Cold to strangers.

Brutally demanding during work.

But strangely patient with me.

Not because I was younger.

Because our mentor favored me openly, shamelessly, almost proudly.

“You spoil her too much,” the others used to complain.

And our mentor would simply scoff.

“She earns it.”

I was his golden student.

His future successor.

Everyone knew it.

Including Park.

Especially Park.

And when Harrison Grant appeared in my life like a beautifully tailored disaster wrapped in black suits and indifference…

Everything changed.

I still remembered the night I told them I was getting married.

Silence had filled the room first.

Then chaos.

“You’re insane.”

“You’re throwing everything away.”

“You worked too hard for this.”

“Love doesn’t survive people like him.”

Even Park had lost patience that night.

Rare for him.

I could still remember his expression clearly.

The frustration.

The disbelief.

“Raina,” he had said quietly back then, “you’re at the peak of your career. Do you understand what you’re giving up?”

But I hadn’t listened.

Because at twenty-four, I genuinely believed love was enough.

I believed Harrison choosing me meant I had already won at life.

How laughable.

How painfully naive.

And now…

Years later…

Here I was.

Standing in a hospital gown with fading allergy rashes and divorce papers hanging over my marriage like a guillotine.

I could barely meet Park’s eyes.

“It’s just a pollen allergy,” I muttered quietly.

His brows furrowed immediately.

“What were you thinking?” he scolded automatically as he stepped closer. “You know your reactions are severe.”

His hand gently turned my wrist over, checking the fading redness on my skin with practiced care.

The familiarity of it almost hurt more than the concern itself.

“You still forget your limits when you’re emotional,” he muttered under his breath.

Something twisted painfully in my chest.

Because he was right.

Again.

“I’m fine,” I said softly.

“You look terrible.”

“That’s very comforting. Thank you.”

That finally earned the faintest curve of amusement from him.

Barely there.

But real.

Behind him, several younger doctors stood frozen in shock.

Whispering quietly amongst themselves.

Because apparently seeing the notoriously untouchable Seo Park personally fussing over a patient was equivalent to witnessing a solar eclipse.

One of them nearly dropped a clipboard.

Park ignored them completely.

“Aside from the allergy reaction, are you injured anywhere else?”

“My hip hurts a little.”

“A little?” His eyes narrowed immediately. “Meaning it hurts a lot and you’re minimizing it.”

I looked away.

Which was answer enough.

He sighed softly.

The same exhausted sigh he used to give me whenever I skipped meals during strategy competitions.

“Go finish your rounds first,” I said quietly. “We can talk later.”

For a moment, he simply looked at me.

Really looked.

At the exhaustion beneath my eyes.

At the emotional wreckage I was trying and failing to hide.

Then his expression softened slightly.

“Alright,” he said finally.

He adjusted the blanket around my legs absentmindedly before stepping back.

A small gesture.

Careful.

Protective.

Like no time had passed at all.

“I’ll come back later.”

After he left, the room stayed silent for exactly three seconds before Lily lunged toward me dramatically.

“WHO was that?!”

I blinked once.

Then laughed despite myself.

“My senior.”

“Senior?” she repeated like the word personally offended her. “That man walked in here looking like a luxury watch commercial with emotional damage.”

I snorted.

Lily pointed accusingly toward the door.

“No because seriously. Calm voice. Expensive face. Deadly eye contact. That’s not a doctor. That’s a corporate assassin.”

“He kind of is.”

Her eyes widened.

“Oh my God.”

I leaned back slightly against the pillows.

“He’s one of our mentor’s protégés. Probably the smartest person I know.”

“And single?”

I gave her a look.

She clasped her hands dramatically.

“Raina. Don’t be selfish. Share resources with the community.”

That earned a real laugh from me this time.

Small.

But genuine.

“He’s married to work,” I said. “He thinks relationships are inefficient.”

Lily gasped softly.

“Even hotter.”

I rolled my eyes.

But slowly, my smile faded again.

Because seeing Park after all these years felt like someone opening a door to a version of myself I had buried alive.

The ambitious version.

The fearless version.

The woman who once terrified boardrooms instead of crying silently over a man who couldn’t choose her first.

“I haven’t seen any of them in years…” I murmured quietly.

Lily’s expression softened instantly.

“Then maybe it’s time,” she said gently.

I looked down at my hands.

Maybe.

Maybe it was.

“Also,” Lily added while backing dramatically toward the door, “if you don’t get that man’s number for me, our friendship ends today.”

I laughed weakly.

“Get out.”

She pointed threateningly at me.

“Don’t waste your hot senior.”

Then she disappeared outside, muttering something about “emotionally unavailable men with expensive watches.”

Silence settled over the room again after she left.

But this time it felt different.

Heavier.

Because Park’s appearance had dragged old memories back to the surface.

Memories I spent years burying beneath marriage and compromise and quiet heartbreak.

I closed my eyes slowly.

And for the first time in years…

I allowed myself to think about the woman I used to be.

Not Harrison’s wife.

Not Mrs. Grant.

Just…

Raina.

Brilliant.

Ambitious.

Alive.

Footsteps approached again.

I didn’t open my eyes immediately.

“Forget something?” I murmured tiredly.

“It’s me.”

My eyes snapped open instantly.

Harrison.

Of course.

The warmth that had briefly settled in the room vanished immediately.

His presence always did that now.

He stood near the doorway still dressed in yesterday’s suit.

Tie loosened.

Expression dark.

Exhaustion visible beneath his eyes.

But somehow still infuriatingly composed.

“What do you want?” I asked sharply. “You’re not welcome here.”

His jaw tightened immediately.

“Cut the dramatics, Raina. This hospital belongs to Grant Group.”

I laughed coldly.

“Congratulations. Do you want a trophy?”

“No one is throwing me out.”

“Fine,” I snapped, shoving the blanket aside. “Then I’ll leave.”

The second my feet touched the floor, dizziness hit instantly.

Before I could steady myself, Harrison grabbed my wrist and pulled me back toward the bed.

“What is wrong with you?” he demanded.

I stared at him in disbelief.

“You’re asking me that?”

My voice rose before I could stop it.

“If you’re so busy saving Sophie every five minutes, then sign the divorce papers already and stop wasting my time.”

His expression hardened immediately.

“I already told you. She’s alone here. Pregnant. Ethan is gone. I can’t abandon her.”

“Then don’t.”

My voice went calm suddenly.

Dead calm.

“But we are finished.”

Something flickered across his face.

Not anger.

Something darker.

Less controlled.

“And where exactly do you think you’ll go without me?”

The question landed heavily between us.

Like he genuinely couldn’t imagine a version of my life that didn’t orbit around him.

Before I could answer…

Another voice cut through the room.

Cool.

Steady.

Unimpressed.

“Where she goes,” Park said calmly from the doorway, “is none of your concern.”

The atmosphere shifted instantly.

Harrison turned sharply.

And for the first time since entering the room…

His expression changed completely.

Cold.

Hostile.

Assessing.

Park stepped inside calmly, one hand in his coat pocket.

His gaze landed on Harrison briefly.

Dismissive.

Like he’d already decided he wasn’t impressed.

“Who are you?” Harrison asked flatly.

Park didn’t answer immediately.

Which somehow irritated Harrison more.

Then Harrison’s eyes flicked between the two of us.

Understanding twisted across his expression instantly.

Ugly understanding.

“So this is it,” he said coldly. “This is why you suddenly want a divorce so badly.”

My chest tightened immediately.

Not because of guilt.

Because of humiliation.

Because even now…

Even after everything…

He still thought betrayal made more sense than me finally giving up on him.

I stood abruptly and grabbed Park’s arm.

“Let’s go.”

Park looked down at me once.

Then nodded calmly.

“Alright.”

We turned toward the door.

And stopped.

Because standing there like a curse that refused to disappear…

Was Sophie.

Of course.

Her gaze flickered between Park and me before settling on Harrison instantly.

Perfect timing.

Always.

“Raina…” her voice trembled softly. “You’re still angry with me, aren’t you?”

“Sophie?” Harrison frowned immediately. “Why are you here?”

“I didn’t want you fighting because of me,” she said gently. “I came to apologize.”

Park’s gaze sharpened instantly.

Professional.

Observant.

Dangerously intelligent.

“This is the patient with complications?” he asked calmly.

Sophie stiffened almost invisibly.

“She looks perfectly healthy.”

I noticed her fingers tighten around Harrison’s sleeve immediately.

“Stay out of this,” Harrison said coldly.

I looked at him sharply.

“Why?” I cut in. “This is Mr. Park. One of the top executives in global strategy and one of the smartest people in this hospital. If there are complications, I’m sure he can tell.”

For one split second…

Sophie’s composure cracked.

Tiny.

But there.

“N-no need,” she said quickly. “My doctor already checked.”

“Then why panic?” Park asked mildly while adjusting his cufflinks. “You don’t appear distressed at all.”

His tone stayed calm.

But surgical.

Precise.

The kind of calm that exposed lies effortlessly.

“With all due respect,” Sophie said carefully, “given your relationship with Raina, I’d prefer my own physician.”

That did it.

“Get out.”

My voice cut through the room instantly.

Everyone went still.

Because no one…

No one disrespected my people in front of me.

Sophie immediately looked wounded.

Of course she did.

“Harrison…” she whispered softly while touching her stomach again.

After a long moment, Harrison exhaled sharply.

Then turned away.

“Let’s go.”

And just like that…

He left with her.

Again.

The silence afterward felt strange.

Not painful.

Just tired.

Park looked at me quietly for a long moment.

Then stepped closer.

“Don’t waste tears on someone like that,” he said softly.

His hand rested gently against my head.

That was all it took.

Everything inside me cracked open instantly.

Tears spilled before I could stop them.

Hot.

Humiliating.

Relieving.

“Park…” My voice broke completely. “I was wrong.”

He sighed quietly before pulling me into a careful embrace.

Not romantic.

Not possessive.

Just safe.

Steady.

“We all make mistakes,” he said calmly.

I shut my eyes tightly.

“No,” I whispered. “I ruined everything.”

His silence told me he understood exactly what I meant.

“You walked away from one of the brightest futures any of us had ever seen,” he said quietly. “You became another employee inside his company when you were supposed to build your own empire.”

Every word hit directly where it hurt most.

Because it was true.

Painfully true.

“But it’s not too late.”

I laughed weakly through tears.

“It feels too late.”

“It isn’t.”

His voice stayed calm.

Certain.

“The Raina we knew wouldn’t disappear forever.”

That hurt more than anything.

Because I had disappeared.

Piece by piece.

Year after year.

For love.

For marriage.

For Harrison.

“I failed our mentor,” I whispered brokenly. “I failed all of you.”

Park pulled back slightly just enough to look at me properly.

“No,” he said firmly. “You got lost.”

His thumb brushed lightly beneath my eye, wiping away tears before they fell further.

“But lost things can still be found.”

I stared at him silently.

And for the first time in a very long time…

The future didn’t feel completely dark.

Painful?

Yes.

Terrifying?

Absolutely.

But somewhere beneath all the heartbreak and humiliation and exhaustion…

Something else stirred quietly inside me.

Not love.

Not grief.

Something stronger.

Something waking up slowly after years asleep.

Like standing in the middle of a storm…

And finally deciding…

I didn’t want to drown anymore.