Although Tae Kyung was reluctant to follow Kyu Won’s words, he put everything aside and came to HY headquarters for Seo Ha and Min Joon’s sake.

The gazes of people looking at him were not kind.

Especially since this was where Jin Yoo Na worked, everyone seemed to sympathize with Yoo Na and looked at Tae Kyung with accusing eyes.

Tae Kyung ignored this and went straight to the chairman’s office.

“Chairman, I mean Mother, are you here?”

“Representative, hello? The chairman is inside.”

“Thank you.”

Director Kwon looked at Tae Kyung with anxious eyes. Tae Kyung seemed to notice his concern and gave a slight smile and nod in greeting.

Entering the chairman’s office, Tae Kyung immediately knelt before Hyun Young. Hyun Young raised an eyebrow as she looked at Tae Kyung.

“I beg you. It’s fine if I’m cursed and criticized. But not Seo Ha, right? And what sin has the child committed to suffer like this?”

Hyun Young stared at Tae Kyung with an unreadable expression.

The wordless confrontation between the two lasted for over an hour.

Tae Kyung did not add anything beyond his initial words when he knelt. He just waited.

Until Hyun Young said something.

Hyun Young was inwardly surprised at this unfamiliar side of her son.

Outwardly he had always seemed polite, respectful and rational, but she knew better than anyone how stubborn and prideful her son really was.

That’s why he had declared he would cut ties with her and hadn’t contacted her once in the past 5 years.

For such a son to humble himself and come first for Seo Ha and the child.

Was he doing this because he knew Min Joon was his son?

“What is that child to you that you would go this far? He’s not even your child, is he?”

“Even if he’s not my child, can’t you help out of human compassion? If I must find a connection, he’s a child I want to teach and raise. He’s a very intelligent and mature child. Perhaps because he has no father, he’s grown up too fast – a pitiful child. I grew up without a father too. I know too well what that child will go through, which is why I’m begging like this.”

Hyun Young had spoken to test if Tae Kyung knew Min Joon’s true identity, but was taken aback by Tae Kyung’s words.

Was Tae Kyung saying he would raise Min Joon without knowing he was his son?

Tae Kyung too had grown up without a father, like Min Joon.

The difference was that Min Joon had grown up not knowing his father’s existence from the start, while Tae Kyung had unintentionally become the talk of many people due to his father’s infidelity.

People’s sympathy followed him as a poor child, and Tae Kyung had suffered greatly growing up under such gazes.

Min Joon, who was the spitting image of Tae Kyung, might have to endure even harsher gazes. How much of a wound would that be?

What wrong had they done?

She worried that in trying to protect Seo Ha and Min Joon, she might be pushing them into danger instead.

Perhaps the very thought that she could protect Seo Ha and Min Joon was arrogant.

“Mother, I want to protect Seo Ha and Min Joon. Please stop the articles. At least shield them from people’s eyes for now.”

“See, didn’t I tell you early on? To leave that child alone. If you hadn’t gone to her, Seo Ha and Seo Ha’s child would have been fine.”

“…But it’s not something we can undo now, is it?”

“Everything has a price to pay. If I grant your request, what can you do for me?”

Tae Kyung looked dejected. He no longer knew what he could do, or what Hyun Young wanted.

“What do you want?”

Hyun Young hesitated for a moment. Should she separate Seo Ha and Tae Kyung like this? Would separating them solve everything?

For now…

“What I want is.”

Yoo Na confirmed that the articles related to Seo Ha had been blocked.

She bit her lower lip and frowned.

If someone had the power to make all the articles disappear at once, could it be Hyun Young?

With Tae Kyung and Hyun Young’s relationship still not good, why would Hyun Young block the articles?

Is a son still a son even when they’re estranged?

Yoo Na scoffed. But this much was enough.

Now Kim Seo Ha won’t be able to come near Han Tae Kyung. Rumors that Tae Kyung had visited Hyun Young yesterday were already spreading rampantly within the company.

It was the perfect fodder for gossipmongers.

The planning team members were busy consoling Yoo Na.

However, the fact that Tae Kyung left without meeting Yoo Na, and that Hyun Young wasn’t saying anything, made people wonder and things started to flow in a slightly different direction than Yoo Na had intended.

Rumors were circulating that Yoo Na had been properly rejected by Tae Kyung.

Suspicions that Yoo Na might be clinging to Tae Kyung now were floating around in the air.

“Jin, are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“I guess the second son of HY Group has extraordinary power. Did you see how quickly the articles were blocked?”

“Ah… I think the chairman did that for my sake. Worried that I might be upset seeing those things.”

Yoo Na smiled weakly. She needed to give the impression that Hyun Young still favored her somehow.

“Right? Are the articles about Representative Han Tae Kyung true?”

It was a dilemma.

To make Seo Ha look like a gold digger, she should say it’s true, but she wasn’t very pleased about receiving sympathy even though she was pretending to be a pitiful fiancée right now.

It was a matter of her pride, and she didn’t like appearing too clingy to Tae Kyung.

As Yoo Na was racking her brains, people’s reactions started to diverge.

They split into groups that tried to get on Yoo Na’s good side and groups that found Yoo Na annoying.

On the surface, everyone seemed to be consoling Yoo Na, but their true feelings were worlds apart.

Yoo Na sensed this and belatedly began to realize that the consequences of what she had done might not all be good for her.

Tae Kyung recalled Hyun Young answering the phone and rushing out with a dark expression as he saw the articles being taken down and let out a deep sigh.

“What I want is for you to grant one request of mine, whatever it may be.”

Tae Kyung froze at Hyun Young’s following demand.

As Tae Kyung stood unable to say anything, not knowing how to respond, Hyun Young’s phone rang.

Hyun Young checked the caller ID and her face darkened rapidly.

“I’ll take down the articles. Let’s talk again when I get back.”

“Yes…”

And she left the chairman’s office, leaving Tae Kyung behind. Tae Kyung had expected a long confrontation, but was puzzled by Hyun Young’s unexpectedly easy agreement.

What could it be that made her rush out like that?

Tae Kyung returned to his own company.

Kyu Won was waiting for Tae Kyung.

“Tae Kyung, looks like you won’t have to go to Onnuri Kindergarten classes for a while.”

“Why? What do you mean?”

“Onnuri Kindergarten is going on a week-long temporary break now. And the worse news is, the principal there collapsed from a brain hemorrhage.”

“The principal?”

Tae Kyung felt his heart sink.

He felt it was his fault that Yoon Hee had collapsed. It was true that Yoon Hee and the kindergarten had suffered due to the articles about him and Seo Ha. He felt extremely heavy-hearted, wondering if the stress from that had caused her collapse.

Tae Kyung called Chae Eun.

“Vice Principal. This is Han Tae Kyung.”

− Yes. Representative Han.

“How is the principal?”

Chae Eun sighed and then answered in a trembling voice.

− She’s in surgery now. Ah, and you’ve heard about our temporary break, right?

“Yes, I heard. I’m sorry. It’s my fault. Because of me, Seo Ha, Min Joon, and now the principal…”

− Don’t say that. It’s not just because of that. Don’t blame yourself.

“Which hospital is it?”

Chae Eun was about to answer Tae Kyung’s question but then stopped. And hesitated.

− The hospital… Actually, the chairman told us not to tell you.

“The chairman?”

− Your mother, the representative.

“What? Why would mother…? What kind of relationship does mother have with the principal?”

− You probably don’t know because you were too young, but my mom and the chairman are cousins. Even though they’re cousins, contact was cut off after our grandmother passed away, so you probably don’t know well. I only found out a few years ago too. I think my mom and the chairman only occasionally talked on the phone.

Hearing Chae Eun’s words, Tae Kyung felt like he’d been hit on the head. Was it not a coincidence that Seo Ha came to work at Onnuri Kindergarten?

Chae Eun added to the dumbfounded Tae Kyung.

− For now, please take good care of Teacher Seo Ha and Min Joon. It will be hard for them. And my mom and I will manage well, so just pray for us.

“Still, I want to help. It’s partly because of me too.”

Tae Kyung firmly conveyed his intentions to Chae Eun, who was trying to refuse his offer. He felt responsible for all of this.

− Representative, I can’t say you’re completely blameless. Honestly, I do feel a bit resentful. But just resenting now won’t improve anything. I don’t want to see you right now. And I don’t think I can talk anymore now. I’m sorry.

Chae Eun ended the call before even hearing Tae Kyung’s response. Tae Kyung sighed at Chae Eun’s rejection, which was more stubborn than he expected.

Even though Onnuri Kindergarten was on break, Tae Kyung wanted to go down to Yangpyeong because he was worried about Seo Ha and Min Joon.

However, Kyu Won, seemingly reading Tae Kyung’s mind, stopped him.

“If you’re thinking of going down to Yangpyeong, think again. If you show up in front of Seo Ha now, do you think reporters will stay quiet? The articles we just managed to block will resurface with something else.”

“Ah, really! Why are things getting so complicated?”

“Getting angry won’t solve anything. Let’s calm down and think of a solution.”

Tae Kyung paced back and forth in the representative’s office, fuming. Kyu Won sat on the sofa, tilting his head back.

“You know the representative of Onnuri Kindergarten has changed, right?”

“The representative changed? What do you mean? Wasn’t the principal the representative until now?”

Tae Kyung showed an expression of hearing this for the first time at Kyu Won’s words. Kyu Won continued his explanation with a sigh.

“No, apparently not. Originally, Principal Jung Yoon Hee was a hired principal, and because she was close friends with the initial founder, they worked together for a long time. The founder almost entirely entrusted the kindergarten to the principal.”

“And?”

“When the founder passed away the year before last, her son took over the kindergarten. Apparently, their values were very different from the founder’s.”

“Hmm.”

There were many reasons why parents and children could have different values. In most cases, good parents have good children, but there were plenty of exceptions. Perhaps the founder’s case was the latter.

Kyu Won calmly explained the current situation to Tae Kyung.

“It seems they started pressuring Principal Jung Yoon Hee about sales from last year. But it seems they couldn’t fire her recklessly. Then when someone came forward to acquire this kindergarten, they immediately handed it over.”

“Who’s the new representative?”

“It’s Jin Yoo Kyung.”

Hearing the name of the new representative, Tae Kyung felt a chill.

“Jin Yoo Kyung? Surely not the Jin Yoo Kyung I know?”

Kyu Won took off his glasses, answering with an even more serious expression.

“Yes. That’s right. Jin Yoo Na’s older sister. Jin Yoo Kyung.”