Chapter 33: All I Need Is You

Right after the broadcast ended, I headed straight to Pyeongchang-dong.

“Back here again…”

Following the path through the garden, I saw the all-too-familiar stone wall of the house I’d visited countless times. Pyeongchang-dong, lined with luxurious homes. At the very back was the residence of Chairman Seo Mu-Jin—Ji-Han’s grandfather—and the Seo family’s main house.

The meticulously maintained landscaping reminded me of the chairman I’d soon be facing. It wasn’t just the broken engagement that I had to bring up—there was something else I needed to reveal. I clenched my sweaty fist tightly.

“Haa…”

A sigh escaped me without realizing it.

Chairman Seo was a man who appeared kind, but he was ruthlessly strict when lines were crossed.

“You’re here?”

I flinched at the sudden voice. Jae-Ha was seated on a low stone wall near the front door, watching me approach.

Despite it being after the weekend, seeing him again felt oddly natural—like we’d seen each other just yesterday. But then, the memory of that moment crept back in, and I quickly tried to suppress the flush rising in my cheeks.

“The shoot went long. But why are you just sitting out here like this?”

“I figured you’d be here soon, so I waited. But you took longer than I expected.”

The night air was quite chilly, and yet he sat there with nothing more than a thin shirt.

“You should’ve called.”

It hadn’t occurred to me he might wait, and that realization caught me off guard.

Jae-Ha gave me a warm smile, his eyes crinkling.

“It felt suffocating inside.”

Understandable. Chairman Seo, the vice chairman, and Ji-Han were probably all inside.

“Are you warm? Your face is red.”

“Y-yeah… Not sure why. Maybe it’s the heat?”

Even in the dim light, my gaze kept landing on Jae-Ha’s lips.

Why am I like this?

A wave of thirst rose within me. My throat felt dry.

Jae-Ha looked at me strangely as I kept fanning myself with my hand. Then, his expression subtly changed.

“It’s chilly out though.”

“Maybe I’m just… running hot.”

Jae-Ha stepped closer and took my hand mid-fan. My cold fingers made him furrow his brows.

“Your hands are cold, though. Weird.”

He reached toward my face, but I instinctively pulled back.

“I-it’s late, let’s go.”

Avoiding his eyes, I hurried up the stone path, leaving him behind still watching me.

. . .

Inside, the housekeeper welcomed me and guided me to the dining room.

The moment I entered, the weight of three pairs of intense eyes bore down on me—Chairman Seo, Vice Chairman Seo Min-Guk, and Ji-Han.

“You two arrived together?”

Chairman Seo was the first to speak, breaking the silence.

“We ran into each other out front. How was your trip to the States, Grandfather? I told you not to travel so much at your age.”

“It went well. I’m still fit, you know.”

Jae-Ha affectionately took the chairman’s hand, speaking warmly. Ji-Han’s face, in contrast, stiffened immediately.

“You said your shoot will be late. So why are you here with him?”

Ji-Han’s voice was sharp as he glanced between us.

“We just met in the garden.”

I had no desire to explain further. I glanced around for a seat. There was an empty one beside Ji-Han, likely meant for me, but I chose not to sit there. There was no reason to sit next to him anymore.

He watched me intently as I took the seat opposite him instead.

“It’s been a while, Grandfather. I hope you’ve been well.”

“Yes, it has. And you seem to be doing better, Yeo-Jin. I hear your return to the broadcasting network is going smoothly.”

“I’ve recently been reinstated as anchor.”

I gave him a small nod.

“From now on, I plan to live my life doing what I want.”

Though I directed the words at Chairman Seo, they were clearly aimed at Ji-Han.

“I should’ve come and spoken to you first. I apologize for that.”

Even before I began my main point, Ji-Han was glaring at me with clear suspicion—as if he already had a bad feeling about what I was about to say.

“I’m sure you’ve already heard, but Ji-Han and I are breaking off the engagement.”

Chairman Seo’s expression darkened. He must’ve been informed while he was in the U.S.

He drained his glass of water, visibly troubled.

“Dear… No, Yeo-Jin. Can’t you forgive him just once more? You know this engagement is rooted in our families’ long-standing promise.”

“…”

“Ji-Han has shown genuine remorse. Won’t you reconsider?”

He reached out, placing a wrinkled hand over mine, gently coaxing me.

Ji-Han must’ve arrived earlier and fed him a carefully crafted version of the story.

Vice Chairman Seo Min-Guk, however, remained silent and still, watching to see how I would handle the situation.

“Did he tell you about the child?”

“…Child?”

“A child? Wait, what do you mean?”

I gave Ji-Han a cold smile. He stood up in shock, eyes widening.

Even the elders at the table looked stunned by the sudden revelation.

“That woman is pregnant. Ji-Han is the biological father of her baby.”

“W-what? Seo-Rin’s pregnant?”

He acted like it was the first he’d heard of it. Watching his panicked reaction, his unsteady eyes—it was almost amusing.

“The woman he cheated with is my junior at the broadcasting network. My closest colleague.”

I hated that I had to say such words aloud. But I hadn’t come here to smooth things over—I’d come to tear them down.

Their stunned faces stared back at me in silence.

“How can I possibly forgive a man who cheated on me with my best friend and got her pregnant?”

“What on earth are you talking about? A child? Ji-Han, is this true? You didn’t know about this?”

Chairman Seo turned to Ji-Han with a furious glare.

Ji-Han couldn’t speak.

Of course he was caught off guard. A pregnancy wasn’t in his plan.

“Answer me!”

“…I-I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”

He responded weakly, his body stiff with tension.

“This is entirely my fault. This father and son are similar—always having trouble with women…”

“…”

“Yeo-Jin.”

Chairman Seo let out a long sigh and turned to me.

“So what do you want, child? Is breaking off the engagement enough?”

“What I want…”

What I truly wanted was to take everything from Seo Ji-Han.

“Yes, breaking it off is what I want.”

He sighed and nodded, accepting it with a bitter look.

Ji-Han, who’d been silent, suddenly snapped.

“You can’t! You can’t just leave me like this! We’re already married!”

Already married? That ceremony that ended before it even began?

“Be quiet! You have no right to speak!”

Chairman Seo’s angry voice rang out.

He knew what was at stake.

Without W Group’s capital investment, their expansion project would collapse, and Ji-Han, the very heir, had thrown it all away.

This is just the beginning. You’ll be the root of every disaster to come.

A victorious smile crept onto my lips.

Everything he coveted—power, Hojin Group, the legacy—would all go to Jae-Ha now.

And Ji-Han would suffer through it, day by agonizing day.

This is what betrayal feels like.

“And one more thing.”

All eyes turned to me.

“I’m getting married.”

“…What?”

Chairman Seo’s face went pale.

Ji-Han stared, mouth agape.

“Getting married? To whom? What kind of sudden announcement is this?”

He stammered, unable to believe it.

Only the vice chairman and Jae-Ha remained calm, watching quietly.

I turned my gaze toward Jae-Ha. There he was—smiling confidently, eyes gleaming.

“Me.”

“…What?”

“I’m going to marry Yeo-Jin, Grandfather.”

The glass in the chairman’s hand slipped to the floor with a loud crash.

Ji-Han’s fists trembled and his jaw tightened.

He looked ready to explode—if the elders weren’t there, he probably would have.

“This was supposed to be my engagement in the first place. I think it’s time I reclaim it.”

Watching Ji-Han’s rage boil over, Jae-Ha smirked.

“Seo Jae-Ha!” Finally, Ji-Han snapped and shouted.

“Watch your tone! This is not the place for shouting!” Chairman Seo barked, forcing him back into his seat.

The dining room grew colder than ice. No one dared to touch the food.

Eventually, after a long, agonizing silence, dinner began.

Ji-Han, still glaring daggers, abruptly got up and stormed out.

No one asked for further explanations.

In that suffocating room, Jae-Ha finally set down his spoon.

“We’ll come back another day.”

“…”

“Let’s go.”

Just when I thought I couldn’t endure any longer, Jae-Ha reached for my hand and pulled me up.

—

Even after stepping out the front door, he still held my hand.

“Heading home?”

As we walked down the same stone path, Jae-Ha asked softly.

He must’ve noticed my hands still trembling slightly.

“Yes.”

“I’ll drive. Secretary Han will bring your car later.”

I nodded. Then he suddenly stopped walking.

Ahead, in front of the garage, stood a familiar silhouette.

Smoke curled from the cigarette in Ji-Han’s hand. The acrid scent stung my nose.

His eyes fell to our linked hands—mine and Jae-Ha’s.

Then, with a cold gaze, he dropped the cigarette and crushed it beneath his foot.

“… Can we talk?”

“I have nothing to say to you.”

I passed by him without a glance.

But then his voice called out once more, low and cutting, “All I need… is for you to come back.”