“The wedding will be postponed. There is no benefit in forcing ourselves into this mess. Then, we should lobby the prosecution so that the investigation does not spread to the entire JS group.”

“That’s true. Vice Chairman Joo’s connections must be really amazing. If we leave them, they’ll be left alone. They owe a lot to us Seohwa.”

Chairman Seo nodded.

“I’m going to take this opportunity to make sure he’s in debt.”

There was a dark shade on Chairman Seo’s face. Overwhelmed by the fierce eyes, Sera closed her mouth.

“On the surface, we are wearing an alliance mask, but it is a fight that ends only when one dies.”

“…….”

“We will take over the JS group and develop Seohwa. So that no one can ignore the Seohwa group.”

“……?”

Sera was caught in a curious mood.

Already, Seohwa group was a big company in name and reality. Born with the Seohwa name on her back, Sera has never been ignored in her life.

Sometimes her same alpha mother felt like a completely different species, and that was now.

Her mother looked nervous as if she were chased by something invisible.

A foreign shadow out of place for perfection

What is it?

She wouldn’t answer me if I asked.

Then there’s only one thing she has to do. Not to let your mother down. I had to be the perfect daughter as I have been.

* * *

“Adam.”

“Haewon…”

Hae-won entered the director’s office under Li Yu-yen’s guidance. Adam, who saw her, rose up with one hand on the desk.

“…….”

“…….”

The two stared at each other silently.

This was the first time that Hae-won came first during working hours. Adam looked at Haewon with a rather puzzled eye.

‘Did you not see the article yet?’

Hae-won thought as she looked at Adam.

But soon, she noticed that he had seen the article, too. Adam was different than usual. His eyes were especially agitated today.

“What are you doing here?”

Adam asked in a calm voice. Then, he turned his eyes to Hae-won’s side. Li Yuyen quickly noticed Adam’s gaze, bowed his head, and left.

“I came here because I was worried about you.”

“Worried? About what?”

Adam tilted his head with an innocent smile. When Hae-won’s eyes turned sad, Adam closed his mouth.

He bit his lower lip slightly as if he was choosing what to say again, and quickly pulled the corner of his mouth and laughed.

It was the same with Haewon that his complicated feelings were revealed on his face. Hae-won’s acting skills were worse than Adam’s.

“You checked the article.”

Adam was the first one to raise the white flag. Adam patted the desk with a mixed smile.

Soon the movement and sound stopped at the same time.

“Actually, I knew it after hearing the news before the article came out.”

Adam lowered his gaze.

His eyelashes also closed, casting a gloomy shadow around the eyes. The sadness in his silver-gray eyes penetrated Haewon’s heart.

“But I’ve been delaying because I’m scared.”

“You were scared?”

Hae-won carefully asked back.

Adam came near Haewon.

“I’m afraid this will affect our engagement.”

Adam’s words fell like an arrow.

Starting with the answer, Hae-won heard something snap inside her body. It must have been a hallucination.

The thought that everything will be gone,

It hit hard.

“A guy like me has no chance to connect with you unless it’s this opportunity.”

Before Haewon knew it, Adam was right in front of her. But his voice didn’t come into her ear until long later.

“Don’t talk like that.”

“It’s true. If it wasn’t for a political marriage, we would have lived without knowing each other’s existence all our lives.”

Adam hurt himself calmly. She felt that it was more painful.

“Because our lives are different.”

Haewon couldn’t say anything.

It wasn’t because she was persuaded by Adam’s words. It’s because she realized that the best ending for Adam would be if the marriage was overturned.

It’s not just this one. Perhaps in the future, there was ample room for the engagement to be broken.

No, she already realized it, but she turned a blind eye to the possibility the whole time.

As if the option of breaking up didn’t exist from the beginning.

With the childish greed of not wanting to lose Adam to anyone else. She’s the only one who wanted to stand by Adam.

‘I’ve been looking away.’

However, Haewon had to admit it once again.

For Adam, a political marriage is poison.

No matter how much he wanted this marriage, it was fake happiness.