Now that So-eun had witnessed the crucial scene with her own eyes, Tae-joon’s intervention was unnecessary. He didn’t even need to send the anonymous email to separate Hee-wook and So-eun.

Though relieved, watching So-eun suffer was unsettling. Tae-joon couldn’t take his eyes off her. Earlier, she was only trembling, but after spotting Hee-wook and Hyun-ji, she shook violently.

Had she known all along? Did she come to confirm her suspicions with her own eyes?

Soon, So-eun staggered as if choked and clutched her chest, struggling to breathe.

Hee-wook and Hyun-ji, arm in arm, headed towards the airport exit. Hee-wook, captivated by Hyun-ji, seemed unaware of So-eun’s presence.

In a heart-pounding moment, So-eun hesitantly looked into her bag and pulled out something white and blunt.

Tae-joon, who had been vigilantly watching So-eun, felt his hair stand on end.

So-eun, without hesitation, marched towards Hee-wook. Tae-joon swiftly intervened.

Tae-joon grabbed So-eun’s arm and turned her around.

Panting, So-eun faced Tae-joon. Recognizing him, she momentarily appeared surprised but soon glared at him as if he was irrelevant.

“What? Why?”

“Han Chief, just a moment.”

Trying to calm her down, Tae-joon spoke gently.

So-eun strained to free her arm and shouted.

“Let go. What are you doing!”

People began to notice.

Tae-joon calmly released her hand after ensuring Hee-wook and Hyun-ji had left the airport.

“Han Chief, calm down. Put whatever you have in your other hand back.”

“What is this, what!”

So-eun thrust what she held in Tae-joon’s face.

He quickly dodged. It turned out to be just a wad of tissues.

Tae-joon felt like he had been punched.

“I thought you were holding a weapon.”

“It’s mine!”

“Why were you gripping it like that…”

“To wipe my tears! So I won’t cry in front of them!”

So-eun retorted, puffing with anger.

Tae-joon felt stunned, losing his composure for the first time.

“So-eun, why did you chase after Yang Hee-wook?”

“I thought he was getting away,” So-eun said, grinding her teeth, and then asked, “Why are you here, Director?”

“Just returned from a short trip to Taiwan. Went to eat beef noodles.”

So-eun looked at him skeptically, suspecting he had been following her. Tae-joon felt cold sweat running down his back.

“I often go to Naples for pizza when I’m bored.”

Even as he spoke, Tae-joon wondered why he was making such excuses.
So-eun and Tae-joon had a brief argument before belatedly leaving the airport. Hee-wook and Hyun-ji were nowhere in sight, presumably having already left.

Tae-joon drove So-eun back in his car.

So-eun was silent. At the airport, before spotting Hee-wook, she had been trembling all over, and after recognizing Hee-wook and Hyun-ji’s intimate display, she seemed to struggle for breath. But now, she appeared emotionless, as if she had lost her capacity to feel.

“I’m sorry.”

“…….”

“I shouldn’t have intervened. You could have handled it on your own, I was wrong.”

Tae-joon broke the silence with an apology.

“It’s okay. Really, it’s fine.”

So-eun politely responded, though clearly not fine.

In hindsight, she felt it was fortunate to have met Tae-joon. She had come to confront Hee-wook about whether he knew his sister was O-type, only to face a more shocking truth. Her thoughts and feelings were jumbled. Facing Hee-wook directly might have led her to cry foolishly and speak irrationally.

She needed time alone to calm down and think, even though she felt weak.

“But Director, you don’t have any luggage.”

So-eun, looking at him blankly, asked indifferently.

“You said you were returning from Taiwan.”

“I traveled light since it was just a food trip.”

Tae-joon answered without looking at her.

Something about his answer didn’t seem sincere. However, So-eun didn’t particularly care to delve into it. Her legs felt weak, and she just wanted to take advantage of his offer to drive her home.

The car started moving silently.

The landscapes she gazed at swiftly receded into the background, replaced by new ones. The car, driving smoothly and swiftly, seemed to urge her, “Now, finally, get a grip and start a new life.”

In retrospect, everything about her relationship had moved too fast: the beginning, the proposal, meeting the family, and the wedding preparations. Everything was too abrupt, but she had been swept away by the unexpected kindness.

But it wasn’t free.

After giving everything away so foolishly, she lived in fear of being discarded or rejected, enduring and convincing herself she wasn’t being used.

Lost in thought, they arrived at her home. It was getting dark.

Tae-joon cautiously spoke after parking the car in front of her house.

“I’ve never been in this situation before; I don’t know what to do.”

“…….”

“If you think you might do something rash, I can stay with you.”

Tears welled up again in So-eun’s eyes. She tensed her eyes, trying not to cry.