Chapter 13
888 Words
Chapter 13
Lee Ji-hoon’s POV
The Maybach’s smooth engine purred as it rolled through the towering iron gates of the Lee estate. Spotless hedges framed the driveway, and the glow from antique lampposts bathed the path in gold. The moment the car halted at the marble steps of the mansion, the butler and servants lined up in perfect order, bowing low.
“Welcome home, Young Master,” the butler greeted.
Ji-hoon nodded, his sharp features unreadable as he stepped out. The faint night breeze brushed his jaw, but even that couldn’t cool the warmth still lingering on his lips.
A peck… just a peck.
It should have meant nothing. But Park So-jin’s shy accident had disarmed him more than any woman’s deliberate seduction ever could. His tie felt suffocating. With a tug, he loosened it and walked through the grand entrance.
“She doesn’t even know,” he muttered under his breath, recalling how she had nervously corrected herself to call him Ji-hoon instead of President Lee. The sound of his name from her lips… it had struck far deeper than he wanted to admit.
After dismissing the servants, he ascended the sweeping staircase and retreated to his study. His fingers loosened his cufflinks as he sank into the leather chair. The silence pressed around him until he finally pulled out his phone.
The green icon of Weixin blinked with unread messages. In the group chat titled “The Triumvirate” waited the only two men he considered equals—
Gee Min-jae, heir to the Gee Group.
Wan Wei, second-generation of the Wan Conglomerate in China.
[Gee Min-jae]: Ya, why didn’t you tell us? I had to hear it from my father. He said you’re engaged.
[Wan Wei]: Same here. My old man was smirking at dinner like he knew a big secret. Turns out it was about you, Ji-hoon.
Ji-hoon stared at the screen, lips twitching faintly before he typed.
[Lee Ji-hoon]: Because it’s not public yet.
[Gee Min-jae]: Not public, but important enough for our parents to gossip about? That means it’s serious. Who’s the bride?
[Wan Wei]: Exactly. We wouldn’t hear it from them unless it was already sealed. So, spill. Is she really Park So-jin?
Ji-hoon’s fingers paused over the keyboard. Finally, he typed:
[Lee Ji-hoon]: She’s… different.
A storm of laughing emojis followed instantly.
[Gee Min-jae]: Different = you’re already whipped.
[Wan Wei]: Careful, brother. The stone-hearted Lee Ji-hoon might finally melt.
Ji-hoon let out a quiet scoff and tossed the phone onto his desk. Their teasing was noise. What haunted him was the truth—Park So-jin was not someone he could categorize. She was already seeping into the cracks he’d carefully sealed.
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Park So-jin’s POV
The bathtub’s warm water lapped at my skin, carrying away the scent of the restaurant and the pressure of dinner. I closed my eyes, exhaling. But no amount of steam could erase the image of Ji-hoon’s intense gaze, the smooth way he said, Call me Ji-hoon, as though he had every right to my voice.
When I finally stepped out, I slipped into a lavender satin nightdress, my damp curls resting against my shoulders. I slid into bed and reached for my phone. A notification blinked from Ha-eun.
[Ha-eun]: You won’t believe what happened. Your sister and that useless ex were playing the perfect couple at the gala tonight. I saw it with my own eyes.
My grip tightened.
[So-jin]: What? They were there together?
[Ha-eun]: Yes. And get this—your sister used his influence to ruin me. The director cut me from the role I was promised and handed it straight to her. Can you imagine? Years of work, and she walks in and takes it because of him.
My heart sank. I knew my sister could be ruthless, but using my ex to step on my best friend’s career… it was another level of betrayal.
[So-jin]: Ha-eun, I’m so sorry. She won’t win forever. Not like this.
[Ha-eun]: Don’t be sorry. Just promise me you’ll rise above them. You have something they can never touch. And now… you’re marrying Lee Ji-hoon. Use that. Don’t let them destroy you like they tried to destroy me.
Her words burned in my chest. I typed and erased my reply three times before my phone rang. My father’s name flashed across the screen.
“Appa,” I answered softly.
“So-jin,” came his voice, deep and firm. “How was the dinner?”
“It went… well.”
“Good,” he said curtly. “This marriage is the opportunity of a lifetime. Be useful. Cooperate with Ji-hoon. Do not make mistakes.”
I clutched the hem of my nightwear, knuckles white. “Yes, Appa.”
“Remember,” his tone sharpened, “the weight of our family rests on your shoulders. Do not fail.”
The line went dead.
For a long moment, I sat frozen, my phone heavy in my hand. Between my father’s cold command, Ha-eun’s heartbreak, and my sister’s betrayal, it felt like the walls were closing in.
But then I remembered Ji-hoon’s voice in the car—calm, unyielding, It’s okay. We’re getting married after all.
If everyone wanted to break me, I would fight. And maybe, just maybe, holding Lee Ji-hoon’s hand would give me the strength to win.
- Writer
