Chapter 23
Sera's POV
"Welco back, Miss Sera."
The mont the front doors opened, a line of maids in matching uniforms stood neatly on both sides of the foyer, bowing and smiling as they greeted . Their voices echoed across the vast marble-floored entrance hall, a place that sohow felt both familiar and foreign after all these years.
It had been five years since I last walked through this doorway.
I gave them a small nod and stepped inside slowly, letting my eyes travel over the interior of the Hwang family residence. So things were still the sa—the grand chandelier overhead, the dark wooden staircase, the faint scent of floral oil from the hallway diffuser—but other things had changed. A few walls were repainted. The old art had been replaced with sothing more modern. There were more security devices installed too, including motion sensors tucked into the corners and a new keypad near the entrance.
It wasn't surprising. My family always valued image and control more than warmth or familiarity.
Hwang Jihoon—my father—is the Chairman of Daehan Group, one of the most powerful conglorates in the country, best known for dominating the shipping and logistics industry. While I was overseas, I heard they expanded into mariti insurance and global freight as well. Everything about the business scread legacy, structure, and expectation. And I was the daughter born to carry that weight.
My relationship with my family? I wouldn't call it broken, but it was never warm either. I left for Geneva when I was twenty, and in those five years, I could count the number of tis they called on one hand. It wasn't that they didn't care—I knew deep down they did—but affection was never sothing openly given in the Hwang household. We were raised to endure, to succeed, and to never ask for comfort.
Just a few days after my return, my father requested a formal eting.
"Congratulations on returning, Sera," he had said as soon as I entered his study. His voice was deep, composed, the sa as always.
I sat down across from him, maintaining the polite distance we always shared.
"It's ti," he continued. "You'll be stepping into your inheritance. You're no longer just a mber of this family—you're going to be the future of Daehan Group."
I didn't say anything right away. Part of expected this, but another part of still hoped he'd at least ask how I was doing before laying a kingdom on my shoulders.
I resented him sotis—for leaving to grow alone in a foreign country, and now expecting to return ho just to play heir without question. But at the sa ti, I wasn't foolish. This is the life I was born into. And in the end, I've always known that no matter how I felt, I would take the reins when the ti ca. I wasn't going to throw away what generations of blood and sweat had built just because I didn't feel loved.
Before officially taking over, however, my father gave my first assignnt—to beco the official representative of Daehan Group in a potential collaboration project with Nara Group.
Outwardly, it was a business opportunity. But internally, Daehan had a different goal—one that involved disrupting Nara Group's monopoly in the construction sector and eventually absorbing that market to solidify our status as Korea's most powerful conglorate.
Of course, the first thing that ca to mind when I heard the na Nara Group… was Seo Yuna.
So she had beco the heiress already.
The last ti I saw her was back in university. We were always neck and neck in everything—academics, leadership, even public reputation. There were tis she ranked first, and tis I did. I didn't particularly dislike her, and truthfully, I didn't think she disliked either. We simply existed in each other's space, both too proud to ever lose.
When I t her again recently for the collaboration eting, she was as sharp and unreadable as I rembered. My team and I laid out the proposal and strategic outline, emphasizing the economic benefits of a joint regional developnt project. It was convincing enough, but of course, I knew Yuna would be cautious. She's not the type to accept a deal without probing deeper. When she said she'd consider it, I already expected that response. It was only a matter of ti.
Ironically, it was later that sa night when I found myself involved in sothing completely unexpected.
While driving ho from the city outskirts, I hit soone.
The brakes screeched, and I rushed out of the car, heart pounding. A young man was lying on the pavent. Luckily, he was still breathing. I crouched down imdiately and checked for injuries. His wallet had fallen out during the impact, and that's how I learned his na—Kim Haemin.
I drove him straight to the hospital.
The nurses and doctors moved quickly, taking him in and stabilizing his condition. I waited outside his room, staring at the monitors and sterile white walls. When I looked at his face while he was sleeping, I noticed his features were actually quite gentle. He was shorter than , yes, but he had this softness to him—almost boyish.
Out of habit, I called my assistant and ordered a full background check on him. Not because I doubted my responsibility, but because people in my position don't leave room for uncertainty. You never know when a small incident becos a scandal.
I also told her to check the accident scene for witnesses. If there were any, I wanted them paid or silenced. Discreetly, of course. And one more thing—I had forgotten to pick up his phone, which had been shattered near the impact site. I asked our security team to retrieve the SIM card, just in case.
While I was still on the phone, Haemin woke up. I quickly hung up and approached him.
"Are you okay?" I asked softly.
He looked disoriented, then suddenly alert. I apologized for the accident, but before I could say anything else, he insisted he was fine and left in a hurry. I didn't even get the chance to offer proper help.
By coincidence, we ran into each other again the next day.
I had just finished visiting one of our directors who had been hospitalized due to a heart attack, and while walking past another ward, I noticed a familiar face.
Haemin.
He was lying in bed alone, staring at the ceiling. I stepped in.
His expression changed when he saw —surprised and slightly nervous. We talked a little, and I noticed sothing interesting. Whenever our eyes t, he always looked away first. It made smile.
Before I left, I returned his SIM card.
And then, fate played another card.
While shopping at Hyundai Seoul, I ran into him again. He was alone.
I called out to him, and again, he looked uncomfortable. I suggested we grab a drink together—just sothing casual—but he kept turning down. I almost found it annoying, but I kept smiling anyway.
n usually tripped over themselves for a mont with . Yet here he was, nervously rejecting my offer as if I were the one inconveniencing him.
That only made more curious.
Eventually, he gave in.
We sat down and talked. I asked him about his life—where he studied, how he was doing. I already knew the answers but I wanted to hear it from him directly. I needed to know if he would lie.
He didn't.
Then he asked about , and without aning to, I found myself revealing too much. Childhood stories. Struggles I hadn't voiced in years. I apologized afterward, a little embarrassed.
But he just smiled and said it was okay.
And then he said sothing that completely caught off guard—just a few kind words, honest and sincere. The kind of words I had always wished to hear from my own family… yet sohow, they ca from this boy sitting right in front of .
Not gonna lie… my heart throbbed for a second.
A soft smile tugged at my lips. I genuinely enjoyed our conversation. It was strange—whenever I talked to him, I smiled more than I realized, and sohow, my mind felt calm.
Then suddenly, he checked his phone and looked shocked.
"It's already 7:15… I need to go," he said, standing up.
I blinked. "So soon?"
"Yeah, I really have to."
What a sha… I actually wanted to talk with him a little longer.
Just before he turned to leave, I asked, "What ti do your classes usually end?"
"Around five," he said. "Why?"
I shrugged, keeping my tone casual. "Just asking. See you again."
He mumbled, "Yeah, see ya," before rushing off like the wind.
I let out a quiet chuckle as I watched him walk away.
But the mont he disappeared from view, a strange emptiness crept in.
My chest felt oddly tight..
Like sothing warm had just left behind.
I didn't understand why…
But one thing was clear—
I was already looking forward to seeing him again.
User Comments
0 comments from readers