Noe Jin-ae's expression was serene and composed, but Selena could sense a hint of frustration beneath the surface. She had been about to discuss something important, but the presence of an outsider, Park Jun Pyo, had forced her to remain silent. She would never bring them into this world. Her own mother's words were warning enough. The temptation would lead to their families' annihilation.
Noe Jin-ae was a woman who valued discretion and secrecy, especially when it came to her work. She had learned to be cautious over the years, and she only shared her thoughts and plans with those she trusted implicitly.
Her husband, Park Gulduk, was not among those she confided in, not because she didn't trust him but because he was unreadable. It was like hitting a brick wall when one tried to reach in, like McKenna.
His epilepsy had made him a master of hiding his emotions, as he saw it as a flaw. He disliked that the business and money came from her family and was sensitive about it. Noe Jin-ae had learned to respect his boundaries. Being that she could not read him by physical touch, at least his birth horoscope was optimal.
Instead, she relied on her daughter, Eun Ho, and her granddaughter, Selena, to share her thoughts and plans. They were the heirs to the family's legacy, and Noe Jin-ae had trained them to be loyal and discreet.
Noe Jin-ae also trusted her grandson, Jonah, and her son-in-law, Jonathan Lowrie. They were the protectors and backup heirs to the family, and they had pledged their loyalty to Eun Ho and Selena.
As she glanced around the table, Noe Jin-ae's eyes lingered on each of their faces, her expression a mask of calmness. But Selena could sense the undercurrent of tension, the unspoken words that hung in the air like a challenge.
Noe Jin-ae's eyes narrowed slightly as Park Jun Pyo sat down, her mind racing with a mixture of frustration and wariness. It was unusual for him to attend the morning greetings, and his presence threw off her carefully laid plans.
She couldn't read Park Jun Pyo entirely because of his past. His birth date and certificate were nonexistent, a fact that made Noe Jin-ae's instincts scream with warning.
But Park Jun Pyo was also the nephew of her husband, Park Gulduk, a former North Korean defector who had captured her heart. Park Gulduk's past was shrouded in mystery, but Noe Jin-ae knew that he was the one she was destined to marry and to have children with. He appeared at the right time and in the right place.
And so, when Park Gulduk's nephew had been orphaned during the Second Korean War, Noe Jin-ae had taken him in, raising him as one of her children, but with a distance. She had done it for Park Gulduk's sake because she knew how much his nephew meant to him.
But now, as Park Jun Pyo sat at her table, his eyes fixed on Selena, Noe Jin-ae couldn't shake off the feeling that she had made a terrible mistake. She had raised Park Jun Pyo, and given him a home and a family, but she still couldn't read him.
And that lack of trust was a luxury she couldn't afford, not when the stakes were so high. Tonight, Noe Jin-ae would have to wait until they were alone to share her thoughts and plans. She would warn her granddaughter to stay away from the man and not divulge their talent under any circumstances.
Noe Jin-ae's eyes narrowed slightly as she watched Park Jun Pyo's gaze intensify on her granddaughter, Selena. She didn't like the way he was looking at her, with a mixture of intense curiosity and calculation.
Park Gulduk, sensing the tension, stepped in to introduce Selena to Park Jun Pyo. "This is Selena, our granddaughter that you heard about," he said, his voice warm and welcoming. "She and McKenna were switched at birth. McKenna has gone back to her birth family."
"Selena, this is Park Jun Pyo. he is your mother's cousin, but you can call him 'oesamchon' or 'uncle'." Park Gulduk said as he introduced her.
Selena felt her skin crawl. She looked at her mother, turning her head towards her. Her face was wrought with displeasure. "Mom, how about Sachon, since he is just your cousin, right?" A sneer formed on her face.
Eun Ho paused, surprised by her daughter. Her cousin took a lot of warming up, too. Selena had put her heart into learning the language in preparation for meeting her grandparents.
She kept her face straight; she always had a little bit of dislike towards Jun Pyo anyway. Dad always preferred the boys to her. He treated her nicely enough, but they did not have the bond that she had with her children.
"You have done so well in learning the language. Yes, he is my Sachon." Eun Ho said and hugged her. Her feelings of inadequacy had surfaced there; it was okay for Jun Pyo to feel a sting to his ego every so often.
Park Jun Pyo's expression changed, a brief look of complication crossing his face. He watched as Jonah continued to serve Selena in a doting manner, his eyes fixed on her with a mixture of admiration and protectiveness.
Eun Ho was more doting to this daughter than McKenna. That was the way of the Noe Family. Blood first and foremost. There was this invisible line that Noe Jin-ae would never let him cross.
Park Jun Pyo's gaze lingered on Selena's face, taking in her features. At first, he thought she was a beautiful young woman, one who would make a suitable daughter-in-law for a wealthy foreigner.
But as he looked closer, he noticed that she didn't quite look like a typical Korean woman. Her features seemed more Western, a trait she had inherited from her father, Jonathan Lowrie.
Park Jun Pyo's eyes narrowed slightly as he processed this information. He was a man who valued power and control, and he couldn't help but wonder what Selena's presence meant for the family's dynamics.
Selena sat, wondering the same thing unknowingly. She looked at Noe Jin-ae and knew that when the time came, she would be ready to listen and learn, to carry on the family's legacy and use it to protect herself, her family, and the world and all its inhabitants.
The family finished the meal in a quiet, subdued atmosphere, the only sound being the clinking of chopsticks and the occasional murmur of conversation.
Noe Jin-ae broke the silence, her voice warm and gentle. "It's quite cold in Seoul this time of year, there are so many gardens to see." Her birth date and time were something she always had, never a face other than McKenna. Who she thought for the longest time was unreadable like her grandfather. Her mistaken calculation.
Eun Ho nodded in agreement, her eyes still fixed on her mother's hand, where Noe Jin-ae had subtly traced characters on her palm. "Yes, it's disappointing. Hopefully, it'll clear out soon. The fog yesterday was dense. It seems like it's the same." Eun Ho subtly communicated with Noe Jin-ae.
Jonathan, trying to lighten the mood, chimed in, "Well, at least it's a good excuse to go shopping in Gangnam tomorrow. Selena, would you like to come with us?"
Selena smiled, trying to appear enthusiastic, but her mind was still reeling from the subtle signal Noe Jin-ae had sent her. "Yes, that sounds like fun," she said, excited, remembering the bustling area was full of brand stores.
Selena smiled as she discussed her plans to visit Stylemanda, a small, up-and-coming fashion brand in Seoul. "I've heard great things about their designs," she said, her voice filled with enthusiasm. "I think they have huge growth potential, and I'd love to invest in the brand before it takes off."
Selena knew her investment would be a savvy move. In the future, Stylemanda would experience huge growth, becoming a household name in South Korea and beyond. However, its success would eventually attract the attention of cosmetics giant La Royale in 2019 and integrate it into its portfolio of brands.
Despite the change in ownership, Stylemanda would continue to thrive, with its popular makeup line, 2ICE, remaining a favorite among beauty enthusiasts. Her second investment would be in Dr. Yärt§, which was founded this year and would need investors.
Jonah, who had been quietly observing the conversation, groaned and spoke up, "Do I have to come? Can't I just stay back in the compound instead?" Visiting a thrift store didn't sound fun. His father would protect Selena and the bodyguards. If the trip happened.
Eun Ho smiled and ruffled his hair, "No, Jonah, you have to come with us. It'll be fun, I promise."
The conversation continued in this vein, with the family discussing their plans for the next day and making small talk about the weather.
But beneath the surface, Selena sensed a complex web of power dynamics and unspoken tensions, particularly between Jonathan and Park Jun Pyo. She wondered what lay beneath the surface and what the true nature of their relationship was.
Park Jun Pyo finished his meal, his eyes scanning the room one last time before he stood up, checked his watch, and bid the family a polite farewell. Noe Jin-ae watched him leave, her expression unreadable.
As soon as Park Jun Pyo was gone, Park Gulduk turned to Jonathan and Jonah, a hint of a smile on his face. "Why don't you two come with me to the gym? We can spar and get in a good workout." Park Gulduk smiled.
Jonathan and Jonah exchanged a look before nodding in agreement. They pushed back their chairs and followed Park Gulduk out of the dining room.
Meanwhile, Noe Jin-ae turned to her daughter, Eun Ho, and granddaughter, Selena. "Shall we head to the spa early? I'm sure we could all use a little pampering. Especially after your long trip, Dal-Rae."
But as they stood up and began to make their way to the spa, Selena couldn't shake off the feeling of anxiety as their trip to the spa meant more than the eye and words entailed. She glanced at her grandmother and saw a glint in her eye that suggested she was right.
As they walked to the Korean spa, Selena couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the grandeur of the manor. The high ceilings, intricate woodwork, and beautifully crafted furnishings all spoke to the wealth and prestige of the Noe family.
Their entourage of servants followed closely behind, their faces expressionless as they carried towels, robes, and other essentials for the spa.
As they approached the spa, the servants quickly got to work, starting up the steam room and preparing the various stations for the traditional Korean spa treatments. There was no telling the state she'd be carried out in.
A stretcher was brought in; it could last hours, but her vision could last days. Noe Jin-ae dreamed for 48 hours straight.
With a bow, the servants departed, leaving Selena, Eun Ho, and Noe Jin-ae to their private ceremony. The three women entered the steam room, the warm mist enveloping them as they sat down on the heated stones.
Noe Jin-ae handed each of them a cup of Yunnan Baiyao mixed with Cha Qi, and a secret hallucinogenic brew passed down through the family. As they drank, they began to chant, their voices rising and falling in a soothing melody. Selena followed along.
Eun Ho's eyes seemed to glaze over, lost in thought as she reminisced about her awakening ceremony. But as she focused on Selena, her expression sharpened, her eyes locking onto her daughter's.
Noe Jin-ae and Eun Ho sensed the moment when Selena's mind opened, her consciousness expanding as the tea took hold. They grasped her wrists, holding her steady as she was swept up in a transcendent vision.
Selena gasped repeatedly as her mother's and grandmother's chants became louder. Suddenly, she hallucinated a big ring of women, her ancestors, spiraling infinitely as they started to devolve. They changed to female primates, devolving further and further as her journey went further back in the manner of seconds to the first cell. "Why? Why did you make me suffer if it was supposed to be this way? Why does it hurt?"
"You must accept love in this life. Human notions of shame were never the intention of my love. You are an animal, my child. You were all meant to evolve together and simply enjoy the splendor, love, and chaos of this universe as I intend for all life. I will resurrect the fallen species as I can, but you must ensure the future to restore the balance. Use the knowledge you have at hand. Do not feel ashamed of what you had to do to survive that past life; use it' Dônn flashed in her mind's eye as she communicated. 'I'm sorry, child. This is all I can say. I had to act."
Her journey blurred through her first life, and she saw who pushed her. It was Liam, but in his late seventies, the 'young looking senior look that came with affluence', he seemed relieved, with tears in his eyes, as they disappeared together in the loop.
Fireworks exploded in her mind's eye, a riot of color and light that gave way to a complicated vision of her future. Selena saw multiple paths; they were infinite, they looked like trees and roots, then a myriad of them as she backed up. But as she looked deeper, she saw a better future, one where humans didn't live underground in Hubs but thrived on the surface. She saw the asteroid blown up, global warming slowed and reversed, and the evacuation of the 20 states that had been devastated by the disaster.
Tears of joy and wonder pricked at the corners of her eyes as Selena realized the importance of her role in shaping this future. She was the key to unlocking a brighter tomorrow, and with her children by her side, she felt a sense of determination and purpose to prevent the grim future she had experienced before from happening.