The evening glittered with wealth and tension. Crystal chandeliers. Expensive wine. The elite of Seoul pretending they liked each other.
Joon-hyuk led her through the crowd with a hand resting lightly on her back — just enough to look natural. Cameras flashed; executives smiled too hard.
When they reached the head table, Choi Min-jae was already there. His smile was cool, almost teasing.
"Congratulations, Joon-hyuk," he said smoothly. "Though I must admit, I didn't see this coming."
"Few people did," Joon-hyuk replied.
Min-jae's eyes shifted to Hye-rin. "You look beautiful tonight, Miss Kang."
She smiled politely, but tension rippled beneath the surface. The air between the two men was sharp enough to cut glass.
Later, as she excused herself to the balcony, Min-jae followed.
"You don't look happy," he said gently.
"Would you be?" she asked, voice trembling slightly.
He smiled faintly. "No. But I'd be honest about it."
She looked up at him then — really looked — and for a brief second, she wondered what honesty might actually feel like.