Selena nodded, taking a deep breath as she prepared to greet her grandparents. She bowed deeply, her hands by her sides, and her eyes cast downward. "Annyeonghaseyo, Halmeoni," she said, using the formal Korean greeting. "Annyeonghaseyo, Harabeoji."
Her grandmother, Noe Jin-ae, smiled warmly, her eyes shining with delight. "Annyeongha seyo, Dal-Rae," she replied, using the Korean pronunciation of Selena's name. "We are so glad to finally meet you. You are even more beautiful than we imagined."
Selena was not the lump of clay to be molded as she appeared on paper. Noe Jin-ae smiled uncharacteristically; she'd be able to face her ancestors as a reward for her work.
Selena's grandfather, Park Gulduk, nodded gravely, his expression taciturn. "Yes, Dal-Rae," he said. "You are the true daughter of the Noe and Park family. We are proud to welcome you into our home." Noe Jin-ae looked at Park Gulduk, and he seemed unbothered. She had a sneaking suspicion about today's attack. His face did not falter.
As Selena straightened up from her bow, Eun Ho felt a sense of pride and warmth wash over her as her daughter gracefully and perfectly greeted her grandparents.
She knew that she still had much to learn about herself. All kids had flaws, and her job as a mother and current heir in line was to protect her. Jonah was energetic and needed structure.
Selena didn't seem like a child at all; perhaps her early childhood had caused an attachment disorder. She would use An Lele's death to utilize a psychologist to determine problems.
Some talk therapy and testing couldn't hurt. It'd need to be done quickly. Eun Ho would greet her parents and organize it. Chris Jackson was a wonderful young psychologist to whom Selena could open up.
Jin-Ae, Selena's grandmother, smiled warmly and gestured to a delicate, ceramic teapot on the low table before them. "Please, Selena, have some tea with me," she said, pouring a steaming cup of fragrant, green tea into a dainty porcelain cup.
Selena accepted the cup gratefully, feeling a sense of calm wash over her as she took a sip of the soothing tea. Just then, Eun Ho entered the room, bowing deeply to her parents."Annyeonghaseyo, Eomeoni," she said, using the formal Korean title for "mother." "Annyeonghaseyo, Abeoji," she added, using the formal Korean title for "father."
Jin-Ae and Park Gulduk, Selena's grandfather, nodded stoically, accepting Eun Ho's greeting.
"Annyeonghaseyo, Eun Ho," Jin-Ae replied, smiling warmly.
Next, Jonathan entered the room, bowing deeply to his mother-in-law and father-in-law. "Annyeonghaseyo, Eomeoni," he said, using the formal Korean title for "mother." "Annyeonghaseyo, Abeoji," he added, using the formal Korean title for "father."
Jin-Ae and Park Gulduk nodded again, accepting Jonathan's greeting. "Annyeonghaseyo, Jonathan," Jin-Ae replied, smiling warmly.
Finally, Jonah entered the room, looking a bit sleepy but otherwise alert. He approached his grandparents and bowed deeply, performing the traditional Korean morning greeting with ease. "Annyeonghaseyo, Halmeoni," he said, using the formal Korean title for "grandmother." "Annyeonghaseyo, Harabeoji," he added, using the formal Korean title for "grandfather."
Jin-Ae and Park Gulduk nodded, clearly pleased by Jonah's respectful greeting. "Annyeonghaseyo, Jonah," Jin-Ae replied, smiling warmly.
As the morning greetings came to a close, Jin-Ae gestured to the low table, where a delicious-looking spread of traditional Korean breakfast dishes was laid out. "Please, everyone, let us eat and celebrate this special day," she said, her eyes shining with warmth and hospitality.
As the family gathered around the table, Jonathan pulled out a chair for his wife, Eun Ho, with respect and deference.
Eun Ho walked with a sense of dominance and regal, princess-like grace, her head held high and her shoulders back. She sat down in her chair, her movements economical and precise. Her father acted like her servant.
Jonah, confident and self-assured, walked over to the table and sat down next to Selena. One of his manservants, a young man with a different expression, pulled out the chair for him without daring to look him in the eye.
Jonah didn't even acknowledge the servant's presence, his focus solely on Selena. He picked up chopsticks and tested all the dishes at random for poisons. The silver chopsticks were not reacting. "I will have to check your food first."
Jonah's smile was a subtle one, but it spoke volumes about his satisfaction with the food. He had tested it carefully with his chopsticks, a habit ingrained in him from a young age.
His body had been trained to detect poisons and toxins, a skill that had been honed through arduous training, which included poison testing. "You can eat," Jonah said as he handed his sister a fork. She had picked up the chopsticks.
As he sat at the table, Jonah's mind wandered back to his childhood, when his grandmother, Noe Jin-ae, had first reached into his consciousness and confirmed the gift. He had been puzzled as to why he was raised both as the heir and protector, especially since his grandmother had always been adamant that McKenna wasn't the true heir.
But Jonah had come to understand that it was all done in the hope of Selena's return. His grandmother had held onto the belief that Selena would one day come back to them and that Jonah's training would be crucial in protecting her.
Noe Jin-ae's efforts to unlock McKenna's gift had been ongoing for years, but Jonah knew that his grandmother was skeptical about McKenna's abilities.
She had voiced her doubts in secret to Park Gulduk, Jonathan, and Eun Ho, but Jonah had always sensed her uncertainty. She humored Eun Ho simply because she was her beloved daughter and heir. Mostly, she was the only remaining child.
As he looked at his nervous father, Jonathan, Jonah felt a pang of understanding. He knew that his parents, Eun Ho and Jonathan, fought in private, but he also knew that it was to protect his father. Despite being the son of Amelia Lowrie Kinsman, Jonah was aware that he was not untouchable and that his family's dynamics were complex and multifaceted.
With quiet confidence, Jonah took another bite of his food, his senses still on high alert, ever vigilant and prepared to defend those he cared about. Selena didn't seem shy about the food.
She never did; he wondered if it was because she literally had to eat anything. The MacDonald household had used food programs like SNAP, and Selena was thin. Mostly, the mother, who claimed to love her, was an alcoholic. Grandmother probably knew her circumstances now.
Selena, unaware and uncaring about her brother's thoughts, savored each bite of the delicious breakfast food, her senses delighting in the complex flavors and textures. The table was spread with an assortment of traditional Korean dishes, each one more tantalizing than the last.
There were steaming bowls of Juk, a creamy rice porridge flavored with ginger and garlic and accompanied by an array of side dishes, including delicate slices of Po, a type of dried and seasoned meat, and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. She never got to try this stuff in her past life. Though she could eat all the servings on the table, she restrained herself.
Next to the Juk was a platter of Hotteok, sweet pancakes filled with a mixture of honey, sugar, and cinnamon and cooked to a golden brown perfection. The aroma of the Hotteok wafted up, enticing Selena to take a bite, and she was rewarded with a burst of sweetness and a satisfying crunch.
Alongside the Hotteok was a dish of Bindae-tteok, a type of Korean-style pancake made from mung beans and vegetables and served with a dipping sauce made from soy sauce and vinegar. Selena enjoyed the crispy exterior and soft interior of the Bindae-tteok and the way the dipping sauce added a tangy and savory flavor.
Finally, there was a selection of delicate pastries and sweet breads, including a type of Korean-style croissant called a "ppang" and a sweet, flaky pastry filled with a mixture of red bean paste and sugar.
Selena ate her way through the assortment of dishes, following the instructions shown to her by A.A, in her thoughts. She was grateful for the guidance, which helped her navigate the complex etiquette of the traditional Korean breakfast.
Just then, a man walked into the room, and Selena's eyes widened as she remembered him from her past life. It was Park Jun Pyo, the heir apparent to the Park family's business empire. Was McKenna related to him? Wait, she was related to this man.
Selena choked on a chunk of pastry as he came into the room and sat down at the table. He gazed at her with scrutiny and then looked to Park Gulduk and greeted him. Her brother poured her some Soy Milk and handed it to her. Selena drank the whole glass in one go, like she was parched.
He was a man of power and influence, and Selena knew that he would run the most powerful Korean companies in the world starting in 2019. She presumed that they were her family. What happened to the people sitting at this table? Her mother was the current heir.
Park Jun Pyo was dressed in a crisp, tailored business suit, his attire impeccable and modern. He looked every inch the successful businessman, his confidence and authority radiating from him like an aura. He was 38 years old, but his age was belied by his energetic and dynamic presence.
When he entered the room, the servants' demeanor changed subtly. They looked him in the eye, their movements becoming more modern and carefree. They did not respect him in the same manner.
Park Gulduk grunted. The staff, in this manner, did not treat him the same unless he was in his wife's vicinity. He worked so hard to earn money for the family. He deserved the same respect his daughter received; she made the same amount of contribution to the business in North America as Jun Pyo handled domestically.
Park Jun Pyo was a man who commanded respect, and the servants treated him with less respect. This was what Jonah described about keeping outsiders out of the world. The servants must be vassals, and her grandmother must be terrifying.
Park Jun Pyo approached his aunt, Noe Jin-ae, and uncle, Park Gulduk, and bowed deeply, his movements precise and respectful. "Annyeonghaseyo, imo," he said, using the formal Korean title for "aunt." "Annyeonghaseyo, eomo," he added, using the formal Korean title for "uncle."
Noe Jin-ae and Park Gulduk nodded, accepting Park Jun Pyo's greeting. "Annyeonghaseyo, Jun Pyo," Noe Jin-ae replied with a nod, not even looking at him.
As Park Jun Pyo straightened up from his bow, his eyes met Selena's, and for a moment, they locked gazes. Selena felt a jolt run down her spine as she remembered the complicated history she shared with Park Jun Pyo. It was the most awful reprimand in her life. It was after the accident that took Jack's life that her demands for compensation.
She knew that their past was marked by conflict and tension, but for now, they were bound together by their shared family tie. 'A.A. how did Park Jun Pyo inherit the conglomerate?' Selena asked herself.
A.A. opened a news article from December 20th, 2018, where Eun Ho and Jonathan's plane suffers a 'mechanical failure' flying from the city to Seoul. Park Jun Pyo and McKenna would be the only two left. Her grandparents would be well into their 80s at the time he takes over.
A.A. could not find anything. It did find a wireless network and Internet connection a sufficient one. It had accessed all the devices on the network and the company directory. A.A quickly accessed what was on the home network.