Chapter 46.2

Chapter 46.2

“And that’s the problem. There’s only one way left for us to truly become family, isn’t there?”

With a gentle look, Jungman reached out and patted Gukhyun’s shoulder. Gukhyun lowered his gaze, staring at the wrinkled hand resting softly on his shoulder.

“Why take the hard road when there’s an easy one right in front of you? Look at Director Yoon, who grew up like a brother to you. See how well he serves by my side.”

Seokchan’s face stiffened for a moment. But when Jungman looked at him, he quickly smoothed out his expression and put on his usual affable smile.

“My offer still stands. Think about it carefully.”

The timing of the chairman’s second daughter, Kwon Suah*, returning home from studying abroad couldn’t have been more deliberate. It was clear Jungman had planned it to coincide with the corporate split.

— T/L Notes:
> 권주아 → Kwon Joo-ah (Yoon Seokchan’s wife, the eldest daughter)
> 권수아 → Kwon Suah (the younger daughter, the one Chairman Kwon wants to marry off to Gukhyun) —

“You know Suah’s birthday is next month, don’t you? I hope you bring her a nice birthday present.”

Jungman brushed a hand over Gukhyun’s shoulder, gave Seokchan a short look, and turned away. Just as he took a step, he glanced back at Gukhyun and added,

“We’ll bring up your CEO appointment again then.”

—

In the dark, the Christmas tree sparkled so beautifully it almost felt ridiculous. Heeju sat on the living room sofa, knees drawn up, chin resting on them, staring at the tree. It was nearly midnight.

She thought of Sungang earlier that day, decorating the tree.

“Hey, kid, pass me the biggest star.”

“This one always has to go on top, no matter what.”

“See? Now it actually feels like Christmas, doesn’t it?”

Contrary to Sungang’s big talk about throwing a Christmas party, the mansion was now deathly quiet, the kind of silence that raised goosebumps. The man who said he’d just step out to buy a Christmas cake… what had happened to him by now?

The image of the severed ear inside the leather box came rushing back, and Heeju squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head hard. She poured whiskey into the empty glass on the table.

It must have been her second or third glass already, yet her mind was strangely clear. She had intended to get drunk enough to stop thinking altogether and pass out, but nothing was going her way.

‘Worried I might die?’

“…How could you even ask that.”

Heeju gripped her glass tighter, forcing the liquor down her throat. The burn that seared through her chest made her bury her head against her knees and exhale a heavy breath.

Every human feels pity. When someone around you gets hurt or dies, it’s natural to feel sympathy. But what if that someone was a man you’d been sleeping with almost every day?

It was only natural for her to worry about Kwon Gukhyun. After all the nights they’d spent together, her body had grown too used to him, too attached. And yet…

‘I won’t die.’
‘I’m still too useful to kill right now.’

The casual way he’d said that made her furious, so furious she could almost cry. Whatever this feeling was, it couldn’t be explained by ordinary sympathy or concern.

As a forensic doctor who’d seen more corpses than she could count, maybe it was excessive of her to imagine him returning like Sungang’s “severed ear”—in pieces. But she couldn’t stop picturing it.

‘Once the shareholders’ meeting ends safely, things will calm down for a while. That’s why Sungang’s been so hyped about throwing a party. He’s always been crazy about Christmas, but this time he’s even worse since he wants everyone to celebrate together.’

With her forehead resting on her knees, Heeju recalled what Chulhyun had said earlier. Once today’s shareholders’ meeting ended, Executive Director Kwon Gukhyun would officially be appointed CEO. Someone who desperately wanted to stop that must have set all this in motion.

Even if the company looked respectable on the surface, behind the scenes was a world where blood spilled and knives flashed. How many times had Kwon Gukhyun gone through days like this to reach where he was now?

Heeju set down the empty glass and reached for the bottle again. As she tilted it to pour, a flicker of light outside the living room window caught her eye.

“…!”

Realizing it was from car headlights, she set the bottle down with a clatter and ran for the door. She threw it open, and at the foot of the stairs, Gukhyun’s car was parked crookedly. He had just stepped out of the driver’s seat.

Ah.

For a moment, her mind went blank. Her heart dropped hard, and it felt as if all the blood drained from her body. She didn’t even believe in God, yet for a split second, she found herself grateful.

Before she knew it, she was running, throwing herself into Gukhyun’s arms. He looked a little startled but quickly tightened his hold around her, as if he’d been waiting.

“Did you miss me that much?” he murmured, cupping the back of her head in one large hand, his breath brushing her ear.

“Enough to come running out here barefoot?”

If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! 

Browse the Table of Contents or Become a Patron now