Secret Cohabitation Love (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 10

GK’s heir is Butler Jang’s daughter? How on earth does that make any sense?

Until the age of twenty-nine, Tae Ha had never dated a single woman, nor even experienced a common crush.

Countless women, drawn by his exceptional looks and status, had tried to arrange just one meeting with him—only to suffer utter humiliation.

Eventually, absurd rumors began spreading—that Tae Ha was involved in some ambiguous relationship with his secretary, Woo Young. It sounded plausible, after all; Tae Ha had lived with his secretary Woo Young since childhood.

Still, despite those rumors, women chose the comparatively approachable Jung Woo as their gateway to the otherwise unapproachable Tae Ha—and Jung Woo, fully aware of this, never refused.

The two men were often talked about for their striking appearances, but Tae Ha was especially renowned not only for his intellectual looks but also for his exceptional competence.

There were even widespread whispers that in business matters, Chairman Kwon himself was inferior to Tae Ha.

“Really?”

Jung Woo barely managed to swallow the question that nearly burst out: Why on earth?

Turning down a position everyone in Korea coveted, just for Butler Jang’s daughter?

This could be an opportunity—but it also left a bitter taste in his mouth.

—Keep this a secret for now. You haven’t forgotten my order to keep it hidden even from your mother, right?

“My mother doesn’t know.”

—Good. Now, imagine she’s Tae Ha’s match and tell me again—what kind of girl is Ha Eun?

Knowing Chairman Kwon would already have precise details on Yoo Ha Eun’s background and record, Jung Woo reported only on her personal life and temperament, as he always did.

The only difference this time was that, unlike his previously cautious reports, he was now being proactive.

“She’s clever.”

Ha Eun wasn’t just intelligent—she excelled at navigating social dynamics. She could instantly gauge a person’s status and knew exactly how to act accordingly, particularly skilled at calculating gains and losses.

“She keeps her relationships with men clean.”

Though she’d received advances from many men drawn to her beauty—and had used them to her advantage—she never let things escalate into a romantic relationship.

“She’s sociable, cheerful, and smiles often.”

She befriended anyone who could be useful. And while she smiled to their faces, she’d often mock them behind their backs.

“Most of all, she’s intensely driven to climb higher, which is why she’s so disciplined about self-management.”

Just like me.

Jung Woo held back the last words. Watching Ha Eun, he even felt a strange sense of kinship.

But that woman with Kwon Tae Ha?

“Does Tae Ha know yet?”

—I plan to inform him soon.

Wow. Jung Woo whistled inwardly.

—And you should wrap up your affairs at the branch office and return to Korea. Keep your promise.

“Yes.”

—Now that Tae Ha’s been appointed managing director, you’ll need to support him.

It was clear: he wanted Jung Woo to assist at the hotel where Kwon Tae Ha had just taken over as managing director—to make it obvious who was really in charge and to prevent anyone from climbing too high.

Even his beloved nephew was no exception. He constantly drilled into Jung Woo the idea that everyone had their proper place.

“Thank you, Uncle. I’ll see you in Seoul.”

Jung Woo crumpled the beer can in his hand and gave a gentle bow.

* * *

After loosening his tie, fastening his cufflinks, and finally removing his watch, it was already 8 p.m.

Suddenly, Tae Ha wondered if Eun Seo had eaten dinner.

How absurd. Why care about a woman who might very well be a con artist?

Could it really be pity, as she claimed? Had he ever been such a compassionate person?

As Tae Ha let out a dry chuckle, the intercom on the dressing room wall rang. It was Woo Young, who had just returned from Solnae Village.

“Briefing.”

Woo Young turned on his tablet, placed it in front of Tae Ha, sat down, and began his report.

“First, please understand—it took longer because the villagers were on high alert due to the Jo Sung Tae incident.”

“You’re capable—I know that.”

Tae Ha smiled slowly, rolling up his shirt sleeves.

“The marriage registration was indeed filed by Song Eun Seo’s grandmother. She used a local office far from their registered address, claiming the couple had been in a car accident and she was filing on their behalf. The clerk remembered the story clearly. We’ll likely need to meet the witness in person to find out their relationship with Song Eun Seo’s grandmother. Since it was handled secretly with no backup staff, it’s taking some time.”

“Take all the time you need—I’m counting on you.”

“And the phone number listed on the form is fabricated, so there’s no way the marriage registration confirmation was actually sent to you.”

“Since when did Korea become this sloppy?”

“Well, what could they do? A silver-haired grandmother showed up with a power of attorney—nobody questioned it. But apart from the phone number, all your other registered details on the document—your resident registration number, domicile address, everything—are accurate.”

Their eyes met quietly.

Was there truly someone on their side helping with this? Numerous faces flashed through his mind, but none had a plausible motive for orchestrating something like this.

“What about the call records between Song Eun Seo and her grandmother?”

“Each has only one registered number, and they’ve contacted very few others—all verified as villagers, government offices, or hospitals.”

“Any numbers overlapping with ours?”

“None.”

Feeling cornered, Tae Ha leaned back in his chair and furrowed his brow.

“What kind of person is Song Eun Seo?”

“Song Eun Seo moved to Solnae Village in the ninth grade. The reason is unclear—she arrived with only her grandmother. Crucially, on official documents, her mother is listed as her grandmother—Song Bok Soon—she kept her grandmother’s surname.”

“Could both her parents have died before her birth was even registered?”

“According to records, Song Bok Soon has only one child: Song Eun Seo. So for now, we have no way to confirm the exact circumstances.”

“Dig deeper into that. What’s next?”

“She’s moved quite frequently—all to rural areas. She’s changed residences eight times in total, even twice in one year. So the current village is where she’s lived the longest.”

“Look into that too.”

“Got it. When they first settled in Solnae Village, it was quite insular, so those two outsiders really struggled. They didn’t have any special profession, nor did they farm.”

They must have had neither resources nor connections.

An image of their difficult daily life formed clearly in his mind.

“In short, it’s rural even by rural standards, and with constant moves plus caring for her sick grandmother, she never had a close friend. She missed a lot of school too—but somehow managed to get into K University, probably thanks to her intelligence.”

“How did she afford it?”

“She took out student loans, won scholarships, tutored privately, and saved her part-time job wages—enough to upgrade from monthly rent to a deposit lease. She’s even repaid her loans.”

“Then why is she jobless like this now?”

“Expulsion.”

Tae Ha’s finger, which had been slowly scrolling through the tablet screen, froze. That was something he hadn’t even considered.

“She took a leave of absence, and after enough time passed, she was automatically expelled.”

It wasn’t just pitiful—it was downright heartbreaking.

“She was doing well in school until her grandmother fell ill and they returned to the village. Since her grandmother was frequently unwell, continuing her studies must have been impossible. Plus, her grandmother stubbornly refused to move back to Seoul.”

Nothing about her life had been easy or smooth.

“She probably couldn’t afford to rent a place in Seoul either. Even with government aid, she must have lived hand-to-mouth. And yet, during all that, she even made her literary debut in a major newspaper. She seems like someone who tried absolutely everything to build a better life.”

He let out an involuntary, deep sigh.

“She’s clearly smart, kind, and hardworking—that’s why Jo Sung Tae, that bastard, set his sights on her. He probably figured that with no strong family backing after marriage, she’d be easy to control. That’s how this whole mess started.”

He felt deeply sorry for having misunderstood her.

“What will you do now? There’s no concrete evidence proving Song Eun Seo’s involvement, and the villagers seem to trust her deeply.”

Tae Ha didn’t voice his thoughts aloud.

After Woo Young left the study, Tae Ha remained seated for a long while before pulling up the contact information of Attorney Joo, a senior from university.

He chose him specifically to keep this news from reaching his father.

He never imagined he’d be looking for a divorce attorney when he’d never even gotten married.

—You’ll need to pursue both civil and criminal proceedings to clean this up properly. Whoever’s behind this, crush them thoroughly so they can never recover.

After hanging up, Tae Ha put on his jacket and stepped out into the garden. Walking along the path lit by in-ground lamps, he dragged both hands down his face.

Criminal proceedings.

The moment his hands fell away, the December winter night pierced straight into his pupils. The gentle snow that had begun just moments ago was slowly blanketing his shoulders.

Song Eun Seo.

A name that made him crave a cigarette he’d quit long ago.

Just as Tae Ha passed a bench, a small figure appeared at the far end of the long path, backlit by light, heading toward the main building.

The way she walked slowly—it was unmistakably her. Eun Seo.

Tae Ha stopped and waited silently for her to approach. But she seemed exhausted; her shadow, cast by the lamplight, didn’t seem to draw any closer.

[She visited two law firms, staying at one for about an hour. She also checked into four goshiwons and had instant noodles from a convenience store for lunch.]

At least eat something proper.

Tae Ha swallowed the words that almost slipped out—somehow, they tasted bitter.

[It’s pity.]

Then stop looking so pitiful.

Her outerwear had changed from black to a gray padded jacket—likely unpacked from her luggage—and her scarf remained the same. Her shoes were the newest pair she owned.

A lingering trace of the pity he’d left behind.

At the edge of his vision, the low-heeled black boots halted a meter away.

After a brief hesitation, Eun Seo pulled her hands from her pockets and lowered the scarf that had covered her mouth.

“I stood out, didn’t I? I was trying to sneak in quietly.”

Her white breath swirled faintly, mingling with a soft smile and damp air.

It sounded partly like a joke, partly serious.

Since there wasn’t a trace of resentment in her tone, maybe it really was just a joke.

“I thought you were so small you’d go unnoticed—but your presence is actually quite strong.”

At those words, Eun Seo lowered her eyes and smiled lightly.

I suppose I only get to see her dimples when she laughs fully, Tae Ha mused, turning slightly toward her.

The path was wide enough for them to walk side by side.

“Why were you out here?”

If she knew he’d been troubled because of her, what expression would she make? Would she apologize again, burdened by guilt?

That would be… unpleasant.

“Enjoying the snow.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Eun Seo tilted her head back. Large snowflakes pierced through the orange-tinted sky, scattering in every direction.

Her breath escaped naturally, white vapor drifting into the chilly air.

“I hate snow. Whenever it snows, I have to sweep the yard. That tiny yard always felt so huge—and the outdoor tap always froze solid. It meant guaranteed hard labor, both as a child and now.”

Eun Seo shuddered dramatically, as if shaking off a memory. She’d lived completely apart from the romanticized “white Christmas” others dreamed of—she’d only learned that phrase much later in life, having never once enjoyed snow.

“But now… it feels unfamiliar. Is this really the same snow I used to see? It’s beautiful.”

Eun Seo smiled softly and took a step forward—but Tae Ha stopped walking. She halted too.

“I’ll be filing the lawsuit soon.”

Though she’d expected it, Eun Seo’s eyes still flickered weakly.

“I won’t be pursuing criminal charges.”

“…”

“Let’s stick to civil proceedings only.”