Kwon Jeho, who stood up while holding Yuri, walked straight into the bedroom.

Even as he opened the door and entered the bedroom, he did not take his lips off Yuri. After laying Yuri down on the bed, he raised one leg and positioned himself between them.

With her back against the headboard, as they sat embracing with their bodies overlapping, Yuri’s face turned red. Kwon Jeho lowered his head to kiss her passionately while unbuttoning Yuri’s shirt.

As the shirt opened, soft skin was revealed. The dark color of the shirt contrasted starkly with the almost transparent white skin. One would have to see it to understand how stimulating that sight was.

“What shall I do for you?”

He whispered, bringing his lips to her sensitive skin.

‘What shall I do for you?’

Yuri looked at Kwon Jeho with confused eyes. At the same time, she felt something was unfair. She was flushed up to her neck with ragged breathing, while he looked neat and tidy except for his eyes filled with heat.

“I’m trying my best right now. So tell me. What shall I do for you?”

His large hand gently stroked Yuri’s head. The touch she thought she would never feel again caressed her. It was completely different from Minwoo’s touch. Her heart felt like it would burst with joy. She was so happy she could cry.

Who cares if it’s unfair? He’s by my side now. He’s asking what he should do for me…

What could have been the most terrible day was turning into the happiest one.

“You don’t have to do anything. Just staying by my side is enough. Until this morning, I was in despair thinking we could never be like this again. But now…”

Yuri murmured softly, intertwining her fingers with Kwon Jeho’s.

“Being together like this feels like a dream. Is this real? Am I not dreaming?”

“Why are you afraid it might be a dream?”

Yuri nodded, looking at Kwon Jeho. As he said, she was afraid that if she opened her eyes again, she would be back on the morning of the wedding day. One horrific experience she never wanted to go through again was enough.

“…If it’s a dream, I never want to wake up.”

“Hoo”

Kwon Jeho smiled softly and hugged Yuri tighter. Then he stroked her back soothingly with his palm.

“Don’t worry. It’s not a dream, it’s real.”

“Yes, please.”

Yuri nodded again and buried her face in his chest.

“You’re still tense. Your muscles are knotted.”

“Ah.”

When he pressed his thumb firmly on a part of her shoulder, Yuri frowned, feeling a strong pain.

“Shh, I’ll just help you relax.”

Kwon Jeho whispered soothingly, kissing Yuri’s cheek.

“It might hurt, but bear with it. It’ll feel better soon.”

What Yuri needed most right now was peaceful rest. She needed to escape the psychological pressure and take a moment to catch her breath and stabilize.

Kwon Jeho pressed firmly on the knotted muscles with the back of his hand, then stroked with his palm. Was it because each touch was so caring and gentle? It felt like he was soothing not just her body, but her heart as well.

When the massage was over, Kwon Jeho cupped Yuri’s chin and kissed her lightly. It was as if a moist breath flowed in, filling her with warm energy.

As the tension ebbed from her body like the tide, Yuri blinked slowly, feeling a languid relaxation she hadn’t felt in a long time.

The black curtain was descending and her eyes kept closing.

Yuri murmured that she shouldn’t fall asleep like this, but her eyelids were so heavy. She had been having sleepless nights for the past few days, and it seemed the aftereffects were showing now.

“Mmm.”

Her whole body felt limp and she couldn’t move a finger.

Kwon Jeho silently watched Yuri, who had fallen asleep as if unconscious, then carefully smoothed her disheveled hair. She looked so lovable he wanted to hug and kiss her, but he couldn’t disturb her in her exhausted state.

“Sleep well.”

Kwon Jeho laid Yuri down on the bed, kissed her forehead, and quietly left the bedroom.

It was an hour later when Hyunkyung, who had received a call from Kwon Jeho, arrived carrying Yuri’s honeymoon suitcase.

“Where’s Yuri?”

“She’s sleeping now. I need to go out for a while, could you stay by Yuri’s side?”

“Of course.”

Hyunkyung waved her hands as if to say, why even ask such a thing. If anything, she should be thanking Kwon Jeho for taking care of Yuri. She had been so worried when Yuri disappeared.

Lady An and Yuri kept calling, but she deliberately didn’t answer. It was obvious they would ask if she was with Yuri, but she didn’t know where Yuri was either. She only felt relieved when she received a call from Kwon Jeho saying he was with Yuri.

“If you need anything, feel free to use whatever you find. If Yuri wakes up before I return, please do as she wishes. If she wants to go home, take her home, if she wants to be with you, you can go together. If she wants to stay here, then stay.”

“Alright. Don’t worry.”

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

“Um, by the way…”

As Kwon Jeho was about to pass by, Hyunkyung blocked his way and asked.

“Instead of kidnapping the bride, did you kidnap the groom? Something like that, right?”

Instead of answering, Kwon Jeho gave a slight smile towards Hyunkyung and nodded. Then he turned his back towards the garage door.

‘As expected, my eyes are accurate.’

A pleased smile appeared on Hyunkyung’s face as she watched Kwon Jeho’s retreating figure.

“It’s been so long since you asked to meet alone, and only now we get to see each other like this.”

Chae Hyungsik said as Kwon Jeho entered the reception room. Kwon Jeho bowed his head in greeting, then sat across from Chae Hyungsik.

“I suppose things have gone as you wished. But the wedding is only postponed, not completely canceled.”

“Well. Yuri has already changed her mind about not getting married. If we force the marriage to go ahead now, it would be another form of violence.”

“Hmm.”

Chae Hyungsik rubbed his brow as if tired, taking off the glasses he was wearing.

“You should have married Yuri 10 years ago, back then, instead of doing this now.”

Putting his glasses back on, Chae Hyungsik continued.

“If you had, things might have been different now. Chairman Kwon told you not to go to America, but to stay here and become the successor and marry Yuri, but you refused and followed your parents.”

That’s how it was then. He felt disillusioned with competition and didn’t want to accept the idea of a political marriage.

“So are you saying this is all my fault?”

“I’m saying the timing was wrong. Yuri has already suffered wounds that can’t be healed, and you won’t be able to handle it.”

Kwon Jeho tensed momentarily at the words ‘wounds that can’t be healed’. What could have happened to make him express it like that? But before he could ask, Chae Hyungsik firmly continued.

“You can’t give her what she wants.”

“What is that?”

“Blind love. Director Kwon could give it to her. Director Kwon is desperate to marry Yuri.”

When Kwon Jeho said nothing and just listened, Chae Hyungsik added.

“Both Director Kwon and Hyunkyung are the same. To maintain a relationship with Yuri, one side has to cling to her. Without that, it won’t last long.”

Suddenly, he remembered what Hyunkyung had told him.

―Yuri is my one and only friend. We’ve been together since we were young… no, actually, I followed Yuri around. I stuck to her side and never left her for a moment.

When a look of disturbance appeared on Kwon Jeho’s face, Chae Hyungsik smiled bitterly.

“In the end, you’ll be the first to tire and fall away.”

“It seems you’re hoping I’ll be the first to tire and fall away.”

“She may look fine on the outside, but she’s all crumbled inside. Love with such a child? Huh, I wonder how long you can endure.”

Kwon Jeho felt anger rising at Chae Hyungsik describing Yuri as if she were someone starved for attention. His voice automatically became forceful.

“Watch what you say. Yuri is your child too.”

“Of course she’s my daughter. No matter what anyone says, she’s my daughter. She may look exactly like her mother on the outside, but inside, she’s completely like me.”

“What exactly happened all this time?”

At that question, Chae Hyungsik looked at Kwon Jeho with eyes that seemed to say ‘you’re no different’. And he smiled as if mocking.

“Why are you asking me that? You should ask Yuri directly. But will she open up to you? She hasn’t been able to tell even her best friend Hyunkyung for 10 years?”

“You’re quite cruel, sir.”

“And Yuri, who takes after me, can be very cruel too. Watch closely how cruel she can become. I’ve already warned you.”

Chae Hyungsik rose from the sofa as if he had finished speaking.

“My business starts now.”

As Chae Hyungsik stopped walking and turned around, Kwon Jeho took out a USB memory stick and placed it on the table.

“Please keep this a secret from Yuri for now. I’ll tell her myself later.”

“What is that?”

“If Minwoo pressures her into marriage by mentioning scandals, I can give you information to blackmail Minwoo. It’s all in here.”

Chae Hyungsik picked up the USB memory stick with an impassive face.

“Because it’s related to gangsters and he fled to the Philippines, no one knows yet. Only the prosecutor in charge knows.”

Chae Hyungsik was a politician with a background as a prosecutor. No detailed explanation was needed for what Kwon Jeho was saying now. He looked alternately at the USB memory stick in his hand and Kwon Jeho, showing an expression of disbelief.

“So now, you’re willing to throw away the card that could take down Director Kwon in one go? For Yuri?”

“Yes. Information can be obtained again anyway.”

“What if this incident exposes the identity of the informant planted in Director Kwon’s camp? Are you prepared for that?”

I know. That’s why there was a difference of opinion with Woo Gyeol, and Brandon was also troubled. But Kwon Jeho had to make a difficult decision for Yuri’s sake.

“I’ve already pulled them out. I don’t want them to be harmed because of this.”

“You pulled out the informant?”

When Chae Hyungsik asked in disbelief, Kwon Jeho silently nodded. Chae Hyungsik shook his head as if dumbfounded.

“My, you must have bled a lot for Yuri alone. Is she that important to you?”

“It’s not because of that. It was something I had to do.”

At this unexpected response, Chae Hyungsik furrowed his brow in confusion. But he didn’t ask further.

“Then I’ll be going now.”

Kwon Jeho stood up and bowed deeply to Chae Hyungsik. Then he turned around and walked out of the reception room.

Regardless of whether Yuri’s existence was important or not, he now had a debt to repay to her.

A debt for trying to use her for revenge.

A debt for pretending not to know her pain even though he was aware of it.

He believed that only after repaying all these debts could he approach Yuri with sincerity.

At first, it was true that he had intentionally approached her to get what he wanted. But soon he wavered. After learning about Yuri’s pain and wounds, he simply couldn’t use her anymore.

Yuri was like an abandoned baby bird. How could he turn his eyes away from her? His feelings had grown uncontrollably, and finally Kwon Jeho decided to change the plan that had been in progress until now. There would be considerable sacrifice, but he had no choice.

No, even if he had a choice, the conclusion would have been the same.

Yuri was the top priority.