The boardroom smelled like polished mahogany, burnt coffee, and pressure.
I sat at the head of the table, flanked by Mr. Sung—the infamous CEO of Sung Enterprises and, incidentally, my father-in-law—and my team. Across from us were investors, each one flipping through glossy project proposals and nodding along to my pitch.
"With Sung Enterprises handling the logistics and our company spearheading digital infrastructure," I said, clicking through the slide deck, "we're looking at a 35% increase in projected growth by Q3."
Smooth. Clean. Professional.
That is, until the door burst open like we were filming a drama.
The click-clack of designer heels echoed like gunshots on marble floors. Every head in the room turned. And I froze mid-sentence.
My mouth went dry.
Of course. Of course she would show up now.
Aunt Byeol.
She swept into the room like she owned it—perfect curls bouncing, sunglasses still on indoors (seriously?), and a crocodile leather handbag tucked under one arm. She was elegance dipped in venom.
"Why would you all start without me?" she said, feigning offense. "How cruel."
Mr. Sung raised a brow but said nothing. The investors stiffened. My team exchanged nervous glances.
And Grandpa—who had been nodding approvingly at my presentation seconds ago—clenched the armrest of his chair, his jaw tightening.
"Oh, Dad," Byeol cooed with saccharine sweetness, finally removing her sunglasses and flashing a smile that made me want to crawl under the table. "Did you miss me?"
She slid into an empty chair like it was reserved for her.
I couldn't take it anymore.
"What are you doing here?" I said through gritted teeth, keeping my voice low but sharp.
Grandpa beat me to it, his voice booming. "What are you doing here?!"
"Oh wow," Byeol replied, pouting dramatically. "Is that how you welcome your one and only daughter?"
Lies.
She wasn't even really part of the family. Grandpa had a weak moment in the '80s and she was the permanent regret.
The temperature in the room dropped faster than the stocks of a scandal-ridden startup. Everyone was quiet, pretending to read their documents again while very obviously eavesdropping.
"I have just as much right to be here as anyone else," Aunt Byeol went on, now looking at the investors like she was already one of them. "Dad, I heard you're launching something big. It would be a shame to do it without your... heir."
I could practically see Grandpa's blood pressure rising. His hand trembled slightly as he picked up his glass of water. I wanted to yank Aunt Byeol out by the collar of her ridiculously expensive blouse.
She knew exactly what she was doing—pressing buttons like a toddler on a broken elevator.
I opened my mouth to shut her down, but Grandpa beat me to it again.
"You think showing your face here erases years of corruption? Theft? Embarrassment?" His voice was strained now, as if every word took effort. "You disgrace your mother's memory and now you want to ruin this company too?"
Byeol just shrugged. "Come on, old man. Don't be so dramatic."
Something in me snapped. I stood, ready to drag her out myself, but then—
CLANG.
Grandpa dropped his glass. It shattered against the polished floor.
His body slumped forward.
"Grandpa!" I shouted, rushing to his side as the room erupted into chaos.
Mr. Sung was already dialing emergency services. One of the investors called for security. My hands shook as I tried to support Grandpa, who was barely conscious, his face pale and clammy.
"Stay with me," I whispered, heart thudding like a drum in my ears. "Please..."
Aunt Byeol stood there frozen, her painted lips parted in shock. For once, she had nothing to say.
---
Meanwhile, at the Sung residence...
Bo-ra hummed quietly as she helped her mom rearrange flower vases in the sunlit veranda. She hadn't checked her phone in hours. The peace was a rare moment she didn't want to break.
Until it did.
Her phone buzzed. Again. And again.
She finally picked it up—then froze.
Grandpa. Heart attack. Rushed to the hospital.
The world tilted.
Without saying a word, she grabbed her bag and dashed out of the house, leaving her mother mid-sentence. Her heart pounded in fear. Cold or not, teasing or not, I needed her.
---
At the hospital...
I sat alone outside the ICU. My fists were clenched on my lap. I couldn't cry. Not here. Not in front of the suits. But damn it, I was breaking.
Aunt Byeol had been escorted out after Grandpa was wheeled in. And I... I was stuck here in a stupid waiting chair, replaying the moment over and over.
I should've stopped her. I should've known.
Footsteps. Running.
Then—her voice.
"Yul!"
Bo-ra.
She reached me in seconds and dropped to her knees in front of me, grabbing my hands. Her eyes were wide with worry, her breathing uneven.
"Is he okay? What happened?" she asked.
I couldn't speak. My throat closed up. I just shook my head.
Without warning, she leaned forward and hugged me.
Tightly.
I froze.
I'm used to being the one who teases. The one who rolls his eyes. The one who never cracks. But right now—wrapped in her arms, smelling her vanilla shampoo—I felt everything break open.
My walls. My silence. My damn pride.
I broke.
Tears fell before I could stop them. I buried my face in her shoulder, trembling.
"He—he just collapsed, Bo-ra," I whispered. "Right in front of me. I didn't do anything—I just stood there—"
She tightened her hold.
"I'm here," she whispered back. "It's okay. I'm here."
Something strange pulsed in my chest. Not pain. Not fear. Something... else.
I didn't want her to let go.
I didn't realize how much I needed her until now.
I cried harder.
And she stayed.
No words. No judgment. Just warmth.
To be continued...