Holding the acceptance papers in her hand, Haeyeon exited the interview room. True to Jua’s word about the urgency of this special recruitment, there were only a few applicants, and more importantly, they were informed of the results on the spot.
Feeling relieved and elated at having passed the interview for ‘Dallik Coffee’, Haeyeon realized she was hungry due to the relaxation of tension. Spotting a salad bar nearby, she entered for a quick bite.
“Ricotta cheese, please.”
After placing her order, Haeyeon took a sip of water and sent a message to Doha.
[Doha, the interview is over. I’ll tell you the result when you get home. See you at home.]The combination of cheese, cranberries, and fresh vegetables refreshed her palate. After wiping her lips, she stood up to leave. She had told Doha she would see him at home, but in reality, she had no intention of going home right away.
Daechi-dong.
There was someone she needed to meet.
The streets gradually filled with vehicles as the afternoon progressed. Fortunately, it wasn’t rush hour yet, so Haeyeon managed to reach Daechi-dong without much delay.
After parking her car, Haeyeon looked up. The towering height and imposing front gate were always intimidating. Standing in front of it, she remembered a face with perfectly applied red lipstick, smiling slyly.
[What to do? I might have to come to Daechi-dong often.]The straightforward
“Let’s keep it short, I don’t have much time.”
Without offering a seat or tea to Haeyeon, her mother-in-law Yoon Myeong-gil, chairman of Gilmyung Group, elegantly lifted her teacup, her slender jaw slightly raised. Haeyeon glanced at Yoon Myeong-gil’s face and then respectfully lowered her head at a precise angle.
“What brings you here?”
Without looking at her daughter-in-law, Yoon Myeong-gil inquired in a low voice. As someone who became the owner of a group at a young age, her manner of speaking and tone were distinct from ordinary women, exuding an air of authority.
Haeyeon, facing Yoon Myeong-gil’s concise response, decided not to beat around the bush and got straight to the point.
“I’m going to start working.”
At this interesting revelation, Yoon Myeong-gil finally turned her gaze to Haeyeon and slightly raised the corner of her mouth. Jua’s prediction of a commotion was off the mark. Haeyeon had expected this; having endured Yoon Myeong-gil’s disdain for years, she was not thrown off balance.
“Hmm, a job…”
As Yoon Myeong-gil sipped her tea leisurely, leaving Haeyeon standing, it seemed she was pondering something. Then she shifted her gaze and spoke.
“Coming here to say you’ll work means you must have finished discussing it with Doha.”
Since Yoon Myeong-gil’s assumption was accurate, Haeyeon remained silent. Yoon Myeong-gil, observing her silently, took another sip of her tea and set it down.
“Feeling threatened?”
Haeyeon stiffened for a moment. Yoon Myeong-gil’s words hinted at the reason for her sudden desire to work, asking indirectly if it was because of Lee Soo-rin. Caught off guard by the direct mention of Lee Soo-rin, Haeyeon’s body tensed up.
Despite her heart racing from being so well-prepared, Haeyeon was not going to back down.
Having endured her in-laws’ oppression for years, Haeyeon had never protested. She knew she was lacking in many ways and had patiently endured for Doha’s sake.
But that was now over.
After her last visit to Daechi-dong, Haeyeon had changed her mind. Her in-laws might have tormented her, but they had never truly intended to drive her away. However, seeing Lee Soo-rin sitting calmly in Daechi-dong, she realized something.
‘They’re trying to drive me out.’
Biting the inside of her lip, Haeyeon was determined not to be easily subdued.
Ignoring the fading jasmine scent, Haeyeon spoke unflinchingly.
“My husband and I are doing well, so I’m not sure what you’re implying, Mother.”
Yoon Myeong-gil’s eyebrows twitched ever so slightly at Haeyeon’s clear defiance, implying that neither she nor Doha was affected by Lee Soo-rin’s presence.
“Even flowers wilt eventually. Besides, you haven’t even properly started yet.”
Yoon Myeong-gil’s elegant insinuation was clear: she doubted Haeyeon’s and Doha’s relationship would last, especially with Lee Soo-rin’s looming presence. But Haeyeon just slightly raised the corners of her lips.
“What couldn’t be done in the past, won’t change now, Mother.”
Yoon Myeong-gil turned her head to look directly into Haeyeon’s eyes, but Haeyeon didn’t flinch.
“It was because there was no support back then. And there was an unfortunate incident as well. But things will be different from now on, won’t they?”
Haeyeon got swept up in Yoon Myeong-gil’s gaze. ‘The unfortunate incident’ – instinctively, she knew it referred to the accident that occurred when she had lost her memory. Haeyeon felt as though her body was rooted to the spot, but she couldn’t let herself be drawn in.
“That matter has already been concluded, Mother.”
The Male lead Always Seduces Her with His Beauty (Matriarchy)
Xin Jiao Zhou is the leader of the world’s premier sect. She has just experienced betrayal from all sides, was poisoned in an assassination attempt, and faced death squad attacks while the poison was taking effect. After finally clearing out the scum from her sect, she was drugged again while trying to detoxify.
After waking up from a night of unconsciousness, she gained a “beautiful and kind-hearted” husband.
Xin Jiao Zhou: “???”
He fell ill.
She came to see him, bringing breakfast.
As she put down the breakfast and was about to leave, his hand slipped while holding the spoon. “Clank!”
She turned around upon hearing the noise.
He looked up at her, his eyebrows drooping: “My hand… has no strength.”
“Shall I… feed you?” she asked tentatively.
He opened his mouth cheerfully: “Ah—”
Thinking she was drowning, he jumped in without hesitation to save her, but nearly drowned himself. In the end, it was she who swam over to rescue him, giving him air underwater.
After emerging from the water, his ear tips turned red. He lightly brushed his cheek, tucking his sideburns behind his ear, revealing delicate, pink-tinged ear tips. He lowered his gaze, too embarrassed to look at her.
Xin Jiao Zhou: He’s truly beautiful, kind-hearted, and adorable.
A certain someone when disciplining subordinates behind the scenes: “If they don’t obey, just kill them.”
What’s that? She might already have someone she cares about in her heart? A certain someone: Find out who it is, kill them, and then there won’t be anyone.
What? She met a man by the riverside? What? That man even hurt her? A certain someone: Whichever hand hurt her, chop off his entire arm.
Love at first sight without realizing it, gradually falling in love, slowly getting closer…
Family and national grudges, schemes and desires, good and evil, crime and punishment, she and he face the future together, seeking justice with passion!
A naturally dark female lead who could accidentally destroy the world but is actually an honest person VS a weak, pitiful, and helpless but skilled fighter, beautiful white-cut black male lead
My heart is not of stone, how steadfast is your love? — Tao Yuanming “Imitating the Ancients (No. 3)”
— Reading Guide —
Cold female lead & dramatic black lotus with hidden yandere traits male lead
