Kang Yu Kyung’s pupils trembled finely.

She had managed to maintain her composure in the face of visible provocations until now, but she ended up being flustered.

It was absurd enough that they had dug up an issue that had already been officially resolved well and insisted on getting an apology from Director Choi, but now they were saying they would bring that child to her uncle’s birthday banquet, a family event, this weekend.

After finishing her meal with Heo Jang Woo, Kang Yu Kyung closed her eyes and fell into deep thought the entire way home.

Should she provoke once more here? Or should she surrender now?

As Kang Yu Kyung, who had been calmly catching her breath, finally finished contemplating when she arrived home.

She took out her phone from her handbag and called her daughter, Cha Si Yeon.

“Did you say you invited Miss Yeon Ri Na to your uncle’s birthday banquet this time?”

– Ah, yes. I invited her, but she probably won’t come. Someone who had been postponing blind dates every year with the excuse of being busy suddenly started dating. I’m already dying of embarrassment just thinking about it.

“Would you contact her once more?”

– Ri Na?

“We’ve known each other for how many years now. We should be together on joyous days.”

– Well, she did come last year. Alright. I’ll contact her.

After hanging up with Si Yeon, Kang Yu Kyung raised the corners of her mouth in a sardonic smile.

No matter how she thought about it, it was still too early to surrender.

Though not large in scale, the Sovereign Hall, said to be the most luxurious hall in the Cha Han Hotel, was indeed grand from the entrance as rumored.

The employee who confirmed Cha Si Heon and Jin So Yi’s names smiled gently and opened the large gold-adorned doors.

“Are you nervous?”

Cha Si Heon asked in a soft voice as he held Jin So Yi’s hand. Having held it a few times now, holding hands was quite natural.

“Phew. Of course I’m nervous.”

But interlocking fingers was a slightly different story.

When Cha Si Heon casually intertwined his fingers between hers, Jin So Yi’s heart began to race dramatically.

Jin So Yi pretended to be calm, taking a deep breath and looking around the hall.

Though it was a modest gathering inviting only maternal relatives, he had said it wouldn’t be a small number of people with married cousins and their in-laws gathered.

“We’ll walk around just enough to be noticeable and leave soon, so bear with it a little. Today’s purpose is to show that I brought Jin So Yi here.”

Her pulse quickened at his voice whispering in her ear, just as she had barely regulated her breathing. She hurriedly turned her gaze elsewhere to shake off his voice lingering in her ear.

Inside the banquet hall where silver marble spread widely, guests who had already arrived were standing here and there, engaged in conversation.

The sound of elegantly flowing classical music and the mellow lighting filled the hall.

People one by one cast glances at Jin So Yi entering hand in hand with Cha Si Heon, but they were surprisingly calm.

Her heartbeat was gradually finding its rhythm with Cha Si Heon’s warmth transmitted through their interlaced fingers.

Right. They’re people I won’t see after a month anyway.

How hard could it be to just show my face briefly and leave?

Jin So Yi gripped Cha Si Heon’s hand tighter, steadying her trembling heart.

Cha Si Heon let out a chuckle. He couldn’t help but smile at Jin So Yi tightly gripping his hand, nervous as she was.

Though he had tossed and turned all night, his fatigue vanished the moment he saw Jin So Yi.

Yesterday, he couldn’t sleep because he couldn’t distinguish whether his feelings for Jin So Yi were genuine affection or just physical desire.

Her brightly smiling face kept appearing before his eyes. When he closed his eyes, her gentle voice filled his ears. Worried that his inexplicably racing heart might be a sign of illness, he even called his doctor.

Only after pointlessly agonizing all night did he finally realize.

That his heart wasn’t racing for no reason.

Today was the same. He was mesmerized by her appearance in a light beige silk dress with coral lipstick. Everything around him moved slowly, and his eyes saw only her.

Was it love at first sight? On the Rialto Bridge, at the Gravity Felix Hotel. Had I already fallen for her then?

Cha Si Heon gently wrapped his hand around Jin So Yi’s and let out a soft laugh. He gave up trying to make sense of the indescribable emotions that kept rushing in.

“Usually we should greet grandfather first. But he’s traveling and couldn’t attend. Let’s go greet my parents first.”

Cha Si Heon headed straight for the table right next to the stage at the front of the hall.

“Si Heon, you’re here? So Yi came too.”

As the two approached, Kang Yu Kyung greeted them first with an elegant smile. The man with a dignified image standing next to her also greeted them with a gentle smile.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Jin So Yi.”

Jin So Yi hurriedly bowed her head in greeting. She could tell he was Cha Si Heon’s father without being told.

“Hello, I’m Jin So Yi.”

Cha Hyun Seob nodded with a faint smile.

“I’ve heard a lot about you, So Yi. You met our Si Heon in Italy, right?”

“Yes, we met in Venice.”

“He’s 32 years old but never brought a girlfriend before, so I was starting to worry. You can’t imagine how glad I was.”

Jin So Yi’s cheeks turned a rosy red at the unexpectedly warm welcome.

“Thank you for welcoming me so kindly.”

“Oh my, why are you saying such things? Someone might think Si Heon has never dated before.”

“Well, So Yi is his first official girlfriend, isn’t she?”

Cha Hyun Seob continued speaking with a pleased smile.

“Thank you for coming to what must be an uncomfortable gathering.”

“Thank you for inviting me.”

As the awkward and uncomfortable greetings that made her heart race continued, a woman approached from the side, accompanied by a strong perfume scent.

“Hello, Father, Mother.”

Large eyes and a high nose bridge. Cherry-colored pressed lips. She was so strikingly beautiful that one might wonder if she was a celebrity.

The black mermaid dress connected by a halter neck further accentuated her smooth curves without an ounce of excess fat and her straight legs.

“Oh, Ri Na. You came.”

“Of course. Si Yeon unnie personally invited me, so I had to come.”

Yeon Ri Na naturally approached Cha Hyun Seob and Kang Yu Kyung to greet them.

“Si Heon oppa, it’s been a while.”

This time she turned to Cha Si Heon. Jin So Yi was mesmerized by her alluring smile that perfectly matched the word ‘seductive’.

“What brings you here?”

At Cha Si Heon’s gruff reply pretending to be brusque, Yeon Ri Na opened her mouth with a calm expression.

“What do you mean? It’s not my first time attending your family event.”

While speaking to Cha Si Heon, she briefly scanned Jin So Yi with her eyes. A chill was contained in Ri Na’s gaze that briefly swept up and down.

“Si Yeon unnie invited me. We almost got married after all. Isn’t it okay for me to attend an event like this?”

Thump. Jin So Yi’s heart plummeted to the floor.

Ah. So it’s this woman. He’s pretending to date me to hold onto this woman.

Jin So Yi slightly turned her head to observe Cha Si Heon’s expression.

The smile he had shown just moments ago was gone, and his thick eyebrows were deeply furrowed. He seemed indignant at her attitude of not caring about me standing next to him.

She was smiling as if it didn’t matter at all that Cha Si Heon had attended a family gathering with another woman.

Her chest began to ache dully.

‘Get a grip. You knew all along that you were being used as a tool to provoke that woman.’

Jin So Yi swallowed hard and pushed away the numbly rising pain.

Jin So Yi tried to raise the corners of her mouth to steady her confused mind. She smiled even more brightly, trying not to show she was upset. In that moment, Cha Si Heon’s gaze changed.

“Can’t you see?”

Not knowing what he meant by suddenly asking if she couldn’t see, Yeon Ri Na looked at Cha Si Heon with round eyes.

“Can’t you see my girlfriend next to me? Or haven’t you heard the rumors yet?”

“Si Heon.”

Kang Yu Kyung was taken aback by the suddenly hostile atmosphere.

“How can you be so shameless? Saying you were almost married to a man who has a girlfriend right next to him.”

“I’m fine, stop it.”

Jin So Yi unconsciously grabbed Cha Si Heon’s arm to calm him down.

Jin So Yi’s mind was in a daze from the atmosphere that had turned chilly in an instant.

“That’s right, Miss Ri Na. Our Si Heon was in the middle of introducing us to the woman he just started dating. So Yi, please understand if there was any offense.”

Cha Hyun Seob smiled at Jin So Yi. There was still tension in Cha Si Heon’s eyebrows, but Yeon Ri Na showed no sign of being flustered as she covered her mouth with her hand and responded to Cha Hyun Seob’s words.

“Oh my, it seems I made a mistake. I didn’t realize there was another guest.”

But she still didn’t greet Jin So Yi until the end.

“It seems Mother has invited another guest as well, so I’ll go greet Uncle now. Have a pleasant time.”

Cha Si Heon politely greeted Cha Hyun Seob and Kang Yu Kyung. Jin So Yi also bowed her head in greeting.

“…CEO?”

As she was led away by Cha Si Heon’s hand, Jin So Yi glanced sideways, checking his expression.

“Was that her? Your ex-girlfriend, CEO?”

Cha Si Heon didn’t answer. He had been walking somewhere, but only stopped when they reached a quiet spot in front of the corridor leading to the waiting room.

“We’ve made our appearance, so I’ll just greet Uncle and we’ll leave. Then we’ll be done here, so let’s go right away.”

Perhaps because he was in a bad mood after meeting that woman, Cha Si Heon’s eyes were heavily downcast.

“Wait here for a moment.”

He said in a heavy voice as he turned around. Her heart became uneasy.

Why is he in a bad mood? Is he angry that she showed no reaction even though he brought a new girlfriend? Even to me, she seemed to have no lingering feelings.

Jin So Yi gazed endlessly at Yeon Ri Na laughing and talking with Cha Hyun Seob and his wife in the distance. She was pretty even to a woman’s eyes. Her radiant skin and distinct features were enough to captivate any man at first glance.

Jin So Yi’s shoulders slumped. Whether it was because of the high heels she wore after a long time, her ankles hurt and she was tapping her toes when an elegantly designed luxury shoe suddenly appeared before her eyes.