Love is Madness (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 15

Tae Joon, who arrived in Beijing earlier than expected, parked his car in the lot and sat there, opening the file So Dam had uploaded.

Right after hanging up with Seo Rin, he’d instructed someone to investigate Director Kim Se Jin—and now that report was finally uploaded.

Just like her, Tae Joon was also puzzled by Director Kim’s sudden approach. It felt even more suspicious because tomorrow was the day of the extraordinary shareholders’ meeting.

What unexpected event could have prompted him to ask to see Seo Rin?

This was, after all, the same man who had attended President Baek’s so-called “last supper” today without uttering a word.

No matter how he thought about it, there was only one possible answer:

He was trying to switch sides at the last minute.

The problem was—

“Why… though?”

He simply couldn’t find a legitimate reason.

Tae Joon downloaded the file onto his tablet and began reviewing Director Kim’s profile based solely on objective information.

Despite having been hastily compiled, the file contained a surprisingly detailed amount of information about Director Kim Se Jin.

First off, Director Kim was unequivocally President Baek’s man. He’d entered Sungwon thanks to his connection with President Baek and had climbed his way up to the executive board, where he now stood as the oldest director—just months away from mandatory retirement.

He’d caused no notable trouble within the company. True, the younger Director Hwang had recently risen in President Baek’s favor, but with only two years left until retirement, Director Kim likely had no attachment to his current position beyond simply holding onto it.

So why would someone like him suddenly try to switch allegiances now?

It certainly wasn’t out of good intentions.

Thus, Tae Joon examined Director Kim’s financial status. True to his background as a former bank executive, Kim appeared solidly stable thanks to very prudent investments.

In short, he had nothing to lose. That made it even harder to understand why he’d suddenly gamble everything so recklessly.

What could he possibly hope to gain from Seo Rin that he couldn’t get from President Baek?

There had to be something President Baek lacked but Seo Rin possessed.

He needed to find it.

Tae Joon called So Dam again—because the uploaded documents alone weren’t enough to reach a solid conclusion.

“Hey. It’s me. Do you have any other materials on Director Kim besides this?”

[Hmm. I did look into his family relations. I’ll send it to you right away.]

“Family relations?”

[Yeah. He’s got one son, absolutely doted on by both him and his wife.]

“How do you know Secretary Shin doted on him?”

[Well, he sent his son abroad for studies, and for years, he’s gone to visit him twice a year without fail. The parents even lived separately as “goose dads” for a long stretch while their son was overseas. Doesn’t that mean they’ve basically invested their whole lives in him?]

“That doesn’t guarantee the kid turned out well.”

[But in this case, the kid really did turn out great. Handsome, and just got a lightning-fast promotion at his company—how proud must they be?]

As he listened to So Dam, the new file uploaded. The moment he opened it, the first thing he saw was a close-up ID photo of Director Kim’s son, filling the entire screen.

“Whoa! Why’d you blow the photo up so big?”

[Oops! Sorry! I meant to shrink it, but…]

“Looks like you zoomed in again.”

He hung up without letting So Dam deny it and skimmed through the file on Director Kim’s family.

“Something President Baek doesn’t have… but Seo Rin does…”

What could it be?

After pondering a while, a sudden realization struck Tae Joon. He scrolled back up to the ID photo of Director Kim’s outstanding son.

“A son…”

Seo Rin might come across as cold and detached, but she was undeniably exceptional by any standard.

Brilliant, wealthy, and beautiful—the perfect trifecta.

Any parent with a successful son would naturally see her as the ideal daughter-in-law.

Even if fate turned against him and President Baek pushed him out, that would merely mean stepping down from company leadership—not diminishing her wealth, ability, or beauty in the slightest.

Now he was certain.

Director Kim was trying to strike a deal with Seo Rin—through marriage to his son.

“How dare he… touch my woman?”

The old fool must’ve lost his mind!

He couldn’t just sit in the car any longer.

Gritting his teeth, he muttered a quiet curse and stepped out of the vehicle.

“Absolutely… not happening!”

Director Kim picked up his phone to call his son.

Because Seo Rin had such a naturally cool expression, he figured she might currently look unapproachable—but surely she’d soften once she saw his son.

His son was that impressive—good enough to stand tall even among chaebol heirs.

Yet even with such talent, unless his parents belonged to the “royal family,” there was a clear ceiling to how far he could rise.

Director Kim himself had worked hard and honestly to climb up to Sungwon’s executive board, yet he knew he could go no higher—and it weighed heavily on him, knowing he himself had set that limit for his son.

But with Baek Seo Rin, his son could finally sprout wings.

Because she was undeniably born into that rarefied “royal family.”

And it wasn’t just that.

Unlike other second-generation chaebol daughters who quietly took bride lessons while relying on their parents’ wealth—listening to music, appreciating art, and marrying only for financial compatibility—she had boldly stepped into management herself, even threatening President Baek, who’d ruled that seat for life.

Before, such a match would’ve been utterly unthinkable—but now, with Chairman Baek’s sudden death cornering her, he saw his chance.

He needed to move quickly.

If he showed her his son in person, her mind might just change.

He found “Beloved Son” in his recent call log and pressed dial—but before he could speak, someone seized his wrist with crushing force and snatched the phone away in the blink of an eye.

“Wha—wha—what is this…?”

He tried to yank his arm free, but the excruciating grip paralyzed him completely.

When he looked up in shock, his pupils shrank at the sight before him—someone he’d never seen in his life.

Impeccable pomaded hair, sharp yet gentle features, eyes that seemed to carry a faint smile.

For a moment, he wondered if this dazzlingly radiant figure might be a celebrity or model—but the crushing pressure on his wrist told him otherwise.

Despite his striking looks, the man radiated a dangerously oppressive aura, as if warning everyone around him.

That kind of overwhelming presence was something no actor or model could afford to carry.

Slowly, the man turned his gaze and spoke gently toward Seo Rin.

“Hi, baby?”

What? B—baby?

Director Kim’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Who dared address Baek Seo Rin so casually? He wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes.

But even more shocking was Seo Rin’s reaction.

The mighty Baek Seo Rin didn’t scowl at this man who’d called her “baby” so lightly—in fact, she replied with remarkable gentleness.

“What brings you here?”

She even seemed to be smiling faintly.

“I got worried something might’ve gone wrong since you were taking so long…”

As he spoke, he tossed the stolen phone onto the table.

“…Never thought I’d walk in on such a comedy act. It’s so ridiculous, I’m speechless.”

From the phone came his son’s anxious voice, calling out in confusion—but Director Kim couldn’t move a muscle, suffocated by the man’s overwhelming presence.

“Even if your retirement clock only has two years left, don’t you think aiming for our Executive Managing Director Baek is a bit excessive? You’d have to be out of your mind.”

“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

He flushed crimson—not just because his intentions were exposed, but because the man’s brutally direct words laid bare his desperate situation.

He knew he’d overstepped. Still, driven by parental ambition, he’d taken a reckless gamble—and now faced the brutal consequences.

“My secretary’s number.”

He released Director Kim’s wrist and tossed a business card onto the table. Before the man could even glance at it, the towering figure leaned down and warned softly.

“If you really want to keep bragging about your son, tell that ‘outstanding’ boy of yours to contact me directly. If he wants to take her, he’ll have to beat me first.”

“…”

“But I’m the possessive type when it comes to what’s mine… so it won’t be easy.”

That whisper wasn’t just a warning—it was a clear threat, cutting deep into his bones.

Struck speechless by this unfamiliar pressure, Director Kim lost all will to respond.

“Shall we go? Anything else to handle here?”

“No. We’re done.”

Seo Rin stood up, picking up her handbag.

Though she’d remained silent the whole time while Director Kim babbled nonsense, she didn’t leave without shooting him one final, icy glance—a silent but razor-sharp warning.

How dare someone like you even think of it.

That look alone seemed to seep into his very marrow.

Even after they left, Director Kim couldn’t move for a long while. The wrist the man had grabbed still burned as if on fire.

He rubbed it absently and reached for the business card the man had left behind.

The sleek black card bore only a name and phone number—no company, no title.

Yet his instincts screamed one thing:

Never, ever go up against this man.

Even after delivering a satisfying blow to Director Kim, Tae Joon’s expression remained dark.

Beneath the black night sky, his eyes—devoid of any smile—were unmistakably furious.

“I’m the one who got targeted—why are you so upset, Tae Joon?”

“Of course I’m upset. It pisses me off.”

“…”

“No matter how cornered they are, how dare those guys even think about you? Have they lost their minds?”

He was still fuming, but surprisingly, Seo Rin remained perfectly calm.

For someone with pride and self-worth as towering as hers to act so composed—it was proof that you really did see everything if you lived long enough.

But soon, Tae Joon understood why Seo Rin had held back in that moment.

“I guess that’s just how parents are. When it comes to their kids, they see nothing else.”

“What do you mean?”

“They forget their own principles and abandon their sense of duty—all for their children. I suppose that’s the heart of a parent.”

She thought of Chairman Baek, who had broken his own rules to side with Madam Son. He, too, must have felt exactly as Director Kim did.

And that weighty emotion clearly reached Tae Joon—perhaps because he, too, had a loving mother whose mere thought stirred deep affection within him.

“Now that you put it that way… I suppose all parents feel the same.”

He nodded slowly.

Yet, despite his understanding, if a moment like this ever happened again, he might lose his temper even more fiercely than today.

Because Baek Seo Rin was his—and he couldn’t stand anyone even glancing her way.

He’d never stay calm about it.

“Still… it’s impossible not to feel angry.”

“I’m not exactly pleased either. But we can’t scream and throw tantrums like children. Sometimes, silence is the harshest punishment for people like him.”

She was right. And through her composed response, Tae Joon once again glimpsed the true depth of Baek Seo Rin.

She rarely spoke. Thus, when she did, her words carried more weight than a hundred others’.

Moreover, she knew how to express anger quietly yet with dignity—so her displeasure lingered long after the moment passed.

That’s why people sometimes said she could be frightening in her restraint. But Tae Joon never believed them—because whenever they spoke of her that way, their eyes always held unmistakable longing.

As a cool breeze brushed past, Tae Joon took off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

“No, you really don’t have to—Tae Joon…”

He gently pressed down on her hand as she tried to return the jacket, then guided her chin upward so she’d look at him.

Right. If she’s beautiful in my eyes—why wouldn’t she be in others’?

Days like today wouldn’t end just because today ended.

There was only one solution.

“I can’t wait any longer… I have to marry her soon.”

His sincerity scattered quietly into the wind.