Chapter 125
Si-heon’s voice was unwavering.
Because of that, she couldn’t even mistake it for a misheard phrase.
Sleeping medication.
It was clearly about her.
Ga-eun blinked, her face a canvas of confusion.
‘Did he have insomnia?’
There had been no apparent signs…
Suddenly, a revelation struck her like lightning.
Every night, Si-heon had always returned to her side.
Embracing her, falling asleep while looking at her.
No matter what.
Yes… she should have found that strange.
Why would he stay close to a wife he considered beneath him?
‘Of course… he would have no special reason to need me.’
Like a slow lunar eclipse, the light gradually disappeared from Ga-eun’s eyes, a lifeless smile playing on her lips.
“Do not let your guard down,” Si-heon’s next words brutally tore through her heart.
“I’m not so distracted as to be captivated by an object. Do not worry.”
An object.
Just a medication.
“I didn’t hear my answer. So, did you sleep well?”
After a brief silence, Si-heon responds.
“Yes. The hotel bedding was comfortable.”
“Hahaha!” Chairman Kwon Soon-yeol’s thunderous laughter reverberated through the high-ceilinged space.
“What a pleasant sound to hear. One I’ve been eagerly anticipating. Our eldest grandson, now you’re ready to truly soar.”
Ga-eun quietly moved her steps.
Her eyes, fixed straight ahead, were completely unfocused.
***
“Now I can finally feel at ease.”
Si-heon silently observed Chairman Kwon Soon-yeol’s satisfied face.
Before realizing his feelings for Ga-eun, his grandfather had been his strongest ally. A reliable shield protecting him from his uncle’s family. The only family member who compensated for his parents’ absence in academia.
But after discovering his feelings for Ga-eun, the grandfather had become his most formidable adversary.
Soon, he would likely try to replace a daughter-in-law who didn’t meet his expectations, now knowing Si-heon could sleep without Ga-eun.
Yet Si-heon could not admit that he still could not sleep without her.
He knew his grandfather well.
“If life comes too easily, passion and strategy diminish. That’s why I won’t completely eliminate your uncle’s family. When competitors disappear, one becomes complacent.”
Such were his words. But in reality, he was holding an insurance policy.
His grandson was talented but cold-hearted, not easily giving ground. The prolonged insomnia was a vulnerability. The chairman was too anxious to rely solely on such an heir.
The longer Si-heon depended on something, the more likely his grandfather would seek alternatives.
And the chairman’s patience was rapidly wearing thin.
The comments about going to the hospital together, attending gatherings, and warnings not to let his guard down—all indicated the grandfather was monitoring, even worried.
Worried that Si-heon might become too attached to Ga-eun.
Thus, even when Kwon Si-chung’s wife attacked Ga-eun, even when Si-heon sought revenge during the meeting, his grandfather simply observed.
Waiting to see where he would add his support.
The two-week overseas assignment, knowing Si-heon’s condition, was proof of this strategy.
Testing whether Si-heon could endure.
In this situation, revealing his true feelings for Ga-eun would be the worst possible outcome.
Therefore, Si-heon spoke words completely contrary to his heart.
Emotionlessly.
“You know your uncle is going on a business trip to the United States, right?”
“Yes.”
“Once the US government approves, he’ll not only be recognized for his solar economic moat but will also try to swallow the chemical sector under the guise of portfolio diversification.”
Si-heon’s gaze darkened deeply.
“If you can’t get ahead, it’s better to offer your neck early. Rather than desperately clinging to life in a mess, it’s wiser to salvage a healthy body. However, you’ll absolutely never be the leader.”
Chairman Kwon lifted his teacup.
“Whichever path you choose is your freedom.”
Si-heon’s choice had always been to become the leader, and thus Chairman Kwon had always been on his side.
Discussion
1 Commentmoondust_
He's another power hungry dude like his grandpa
I swear theyre the type of ppl whi look down on the poor, thinking theyre everything when we're literally one species and all the same. I wish Ga-Eun would express anger towards the grandfather in the later chapters. Not the chapter when she meets him after this meetinh, coz I want her to accept the divorce. AND I NEED HER TO ACCEPT THE SECOND ML even tho ik the ml is gonna come back begging and realise all his feelings when he loses her like those other trashy men