It’s the second night

Episode 4

The sunroom door swung open with a loud thud, and his older brother, Jungwook, walked in.

“You! What the hell did you do to Haein?”

Taejo, who had been lying stretched out on a sunbed, lazily lifted the book he had been resting on his face and scoffed.

“I knew this would happen. Just say what you need to and leave. I’m tired.”

He put the book back down.

After three long months of negotiations, he had finally sealed a massive business deal. Now, he had a full month of vacation ahead. He had even booked a private villa by the sea. But he couldn’t leave.

The Ino Training Center explosion and collapse had stopped him.

When he first saw Jooheung’s name on the missing persons list, he felt nothing. It didn’t feel real.

When the name appeared on the deceased list, he just laughed dryly. It still didn’t feel real.

Jooheung was a part of his past. Their reunion should have been different—not like this, not through death.

Now, Jooheung was forever frozen in his memories.

And that made it all the more painful. He couldn’t even mourn properly.

Yet everyone around him kept nagging about Yoo Haein, a survivor of the accident.

“She’s in the hospital. Go visit her. Be responsible as her fiancé!” they had said.

Now, his brother was demanding to know if he had really visited her properly.

Everyone knew the truth.

They weren’t really a couple.

“Are you really breaking off the engagement, Taejo?”

Seo Taejo, the second son of Seohyun Group.

Yoo Haein, the youngest daughter of Ino Group.

To the public, their engagement was a strategic business alliance between two corporate giants. But behind the scenes, it was a mess.

It all started with an accident.

Nine years ago, a ski lift crash.

Haein, who lost her eyesight in the accident, blamed him for it.

And then, she forced him into an engagement.

Marriage was always about business in their world, but Taejo never wanted it like this. He wanted to marry someone he loved.

Even after two years, he still dreamed about Jooheung.

But Haein had blackmailed him.

“I know it wasn’t you who messed with the ski lift switch.”

“It was your friend. The poor kid you brought along. He did it.”

“I have proof. CCTV footage.”

“If you refuse this engagement, I’ll turn it over to the police.”

Taejo knew she wasn’t bluffing. Haein was that kind of person.

So, he took the blame.

He let her manipulate him.

Because his friend had someone to protect. Jooheung.

That’s how this twisted engagement began.

And now, after less than three years, it was over.

His friend had died while he was away.

Haein’s blindness had been cured.

There was no longer a reason to stay engaged.

“Yes. I said I want to break up. Now leave.”

Jungwook frowned even more.

“Did you only say that?”

Taejo slowly lowered his book.

“Why? Should I have done more?”

Jungwook’s face darkened.

“They say she made a huge scene, saying she wanted to die.”

That made no sense. Saying she wanted to die? That Yoo Hae-in?

“The whole hospital is talking about it. About ten minutes after you left, she cut her arm. Stepped on glass too, so her foot got injured.”

“Her guardian found her in time, so she survived. But the doctor said the whole room was covered in blood.”

The story was serious, but Taejo just laughed.

“Yoo Hae-in, self-harm? Even a passing dog would laugh at that.”

Hae-in wasn’t the type. She didn’t break off the engagement first. If she had tried to kill him out of pride, that would be more believable.

Taejo scoffed and stood up. There was a meeting in the woods that evening. A time to drink until he blacked out.

“You should go. I have to head out too.”

As Taejo moved, Jungwook spoke again.

“You know you can’t just break off the engagement as you please.”

“I know.”

“It’s not just between you and her. It’s between two companies.”

But it had started as a personal matter.

“I get that you’re upset now that Hae-in can see again, but…”

Jungwook, usually lighthearted, sounded like a businessman now.

“You know our company is partnering with theirs for their new business, right? We’ve invested over 30 billion won.”

A personal engagement had turned into a business deal. If they broke up, the alliance between the companies would crumble too.

But Taejo didn’t care about any of that.

He laughed coldly and stepped closer to Jungwook. His lips curled into a smirk.

“I’m the vice president.”

He stood right in front of Jungwook and adjusted his slightly loose tie.

“Yesterday, I brought in over a trillion won for Seohyun Group. Thirty billion? I can make that back anytime.”

Even so—

At 192 cm, Taejo towered over Jungwook, who was 185 cm. Jungwook looked up at him pitifully, his eyes drooping.

“That look won’t work.”

Annoyed by his older brother’s puppy-dog expression, Taejo yanked the tie he had just straightened.

Jungwook choked and coughed, weakly patting Taejo’s arm.

Taejo let go and continued.

“So don’t get involved. This time, no matter what happens, even if the sky falls, I will break this engagement.”

With that, he walked toward the exit.

“One more thing.”

Jungwook’s voice was softer this time.

“Family dinner at the main house. You remember, right?”

Taejo paused.

“You’ve skipped three months already.”

“Been busy with work.”

“I heard you’re taking a vacation.”

Even when he had free time, he rarely went. It was never a pleasant experience.

“Tell them I said hi.”

“Do it yourself. It’s been three months. Let them know their second son is still alive.”

Taejo finally turned around, smirking.

“They know. Father knew I was back the moment I landed. Called me right away, yelling at me to go to the h

ospital.”

“That’s Father. Mother, though… she’s been really worried.”

“Mom? Worried? About what?”

Taejo walked along the dark alley behind the factory, hands in his pockets.