FL 4

Before even unpacking her 13b317c942 things upon arriving in b97f12c7a6 Korea, Hyewon changed her 02692c9e90 clothes first. She then stood in 3fadb94220 front of the full-length fe9278b7de mirror to check her 8a05e2c054 appearance. A neatly fitted d5f97c9336 blouse and slacks, ed47dba851 hair brushed and 080d230063 tied back. No one had 390c815490 told her to e8b8b8fd47 do this, but aae08b7458 for some reason, 822f0db915 it felt like 0bd6f550db she had to.5cccc679e2d3e4ec

She glanced at the watch e4218cc65c on her wrist—it fit perfectly—and 7da56a99cf hurried, worried she might fall 9c9118adb3 behind schedule.92621350efa9b594

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After leaving the 92f1744d80 officetel, she got 419d443a7c into a taxi e6336d8581 and directed the d1d46a852a driver to a f8f7b1c760 route that wouldn’t d29e6361f0 be congested. Even though there 73c5cb4085 was plenty of 785d6db0bd time to spare, 23356834d3 she didn’t feel 447621ff60 the slightest bit 496c595c06 at ease.beb37e00ee7eef0f

Rather than getting 939de56589 off right in e943e02256 front of her cff9d30b54 destination, she asked 1eac680767 to be dropped 5c17051ff6 off on the c7e3424814 main road and 148034128b walked uphill the 66ac09970b rest of the 6797f97f7d way.691a8ceeddf4ec32

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The neighborhood, lined 6f95dd4373 with tall walls, 2508adb115 was quiet and 9bc0248b2a peaceful. In the cool autumn 7ec1e99ff3 air, she instinctively hunched b7fc4ff068 her shoulders for a 8bbd5e567d moment, then straightened up—there 4f4186d09c was no one around, d398ba997a but still.ae82423fbd0e089f

Slightly out of a38f180604 breath, Hyewon finally 6c63e81d5d arrived at the 4cbf05397a large gate of 808bb038c3 the house at 1036f47a40 the end of f3e704dc7b the uphill road. She let out a small af66f9cd58 sigh as she looked up a94ed15c7d at the nameplate that readSaheonjae.6c031868a61b9a4e

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Her hand hesitated at 05af087a9b the doorbell, an uncharacteristic 03a11b44e0 pause and uncertainty in e5099ee068 her movements. She looked down e0cf611555 at her curled 2b2887650d fingers, then pressed 88ca252ef4 the bell firmly. Instead of a 181b062e8d voice replying, a ae67d0781d heavy clank sounded, a3f89b1160 and the iron 4ac41e62a5 gate began to 9c7f927b50 open.f84d7ec2e66ac218

A neatly trimmed pine 7e5a4cbf5a tree and manicured lawn 2ca78dcf97 came into view. Next to a modern stone 0b86eab0b0 building stood an oldhanok—a traditional Korean house. Hyewon looked at the oddly 7e3480797a harmonious pairing for a moment 69d37f6c8f before heading toward thehanok.d8d6432880e671b5

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Sensing someone’s presence, a 8d9aef7e43 middle-aged man emerged silently e7629547aa from inside. Hyewon gave a polite bow 256b8d84bc toward Secretary Kim, whose face dd1ede3219 showed no emotion.d84e2b8bd3858e85

“You’ve arrived?”df2280b55b9e06bd

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“Yes, hello.”82296fb3aada3b40

“He’s expecting you.”e75e7c08023ca9ef

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As she stepped onto the eddadc5f2a stone slab, Hyewon smoothed her 28b250eee6 hair and adjusted her clothes 8e2211f007 once more. It was only after they edce7eca2a passed through the sliding paper 6ccc4b88c5 door and reached deep inside 9e9250f918 that Secretary Kim came to 24c74d6331 a stop.52544d831a7cf548

Standing before this door—she 1c43456e78 didn’t think she’d ever 47baa5e06b get used to it. Hyewon cleared her throat.f11463fc3f679985

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“This is Yoon Hyewon.”66de497bb44aecdc

There was no reply, but 2e4b510e03 when Secretary Kim gave her 8416a1fbbb a slight nod, Hyewon quietly 85ebcec484 opened the door and stepped 78d6f483f9 inside.eefeff34990cb8e8

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A faint scent 236e1793cf of ink mixed d01d9fd331 with a delicate 150a481160 aroma of tea 0328adf139 filled the room. An elderly man c4c3ab31a5 with snow-white hair fb67c5da18 was painting orchids. Hyewon bowed deeply in ce25711f07 greeting, then knelt before dd8b264626 him.8b4a63b3ac040b03

She couldn’t lift her head, bd8aa5a851 but she could feel his d6eb502a8f gaze land on her briefly 775f33aa05 before drifting away. At the soft a1699cd6ad tap of his acd8baeeac brush against the 5bd1a0d533 inkstone, Hyewon quietly 5c6d79acc4 got up and 58115c4c72 moved to another 4b3bcb0711 spot.051dcb4bf82e80db

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There, she knelt again d9ebf7f5a3 and began grinding the a7b94a4c55 ink. Pouring water from a dropper, 87a8c220ec she adjusted the concentration, her 21151b2fc5 movements showing a certain level 448efab741 of practiced ease.e52488d62cebc855

“You’ve just returned, haven’t you?”52b8598625e2f0f5

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His voice was low, but 94b1253df3 carried a tone of certainty.8f6a2b5e5d05c46b

“……Yes.”761bcc79b93f1072

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She was aware 8067ec970b that he knew 62f9f56cca everything, but since 4b95d818dd he had never 4488705aaf brought it up ed5c47fd6b so directly before, 8702aa05d9 her response was 9e20c41df6 a little delayed.76064bd83461cb94

“I heard that client was the youngest daughter of the Sein Group.”f14894b18509c57f

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There was nothing appropriate to b21f359d6d say in response, so she f72a8dde7b continued quietly grinding the ink. More than the lavish chaebol a67050ac61 wedding, what lingered most vividly d18e08e3aa in Hyewon’s mind was the 72259e0b8c sex—so intense it had left 2d5300d9b2 her reeling.668d8d10ec476eec

Had he gotten back safely? Did he eat the 5f3009dc07 room service she ordered? Was he upset 76585172eb she didn’t pay a936e1121c him for the 1e72c87df6 sex he had 3a9c311e80 so thoroughly dished a524fd4e30 out?79eefdfe2bce60c1

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Despite sitting in front of 68be2cd79d Cha Haegang, her thoughts wandered. Pointless. It’s not like she would 5de8d0b6b9 ever see him again—she didn’t e282dfed48 even know his name. Hyewon quickly brushed the b8c0a293b0 thoughts aside.076a3117fb63f31e

Cha Haegang wasn’t 50fde2ca32 a materialistic man, 669382b33e but he wasn’t 7284b4a0dc the type to 380b361e03 take such a 18945be557 connection lightly, either. His words were meant as 1f926ced07 a subtle warning—to tread carefully 41709b47f1 and take the relationship seriously.f6e8e0977ffb5446

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In the quiet ddbf76ddce room, the only dd707ccde2 sound was the 91b8553c5a unhesitating stroke of 6c95218728 brush on paper b1b2914cc4 as he painted 4e469cacf9 orchids.9e714a38cc0e732d

“You’re twenty-six now, aren’t you?”14e0be284b3744fa

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“Yes.”5921b76f889390ab

His snowy white d02c3c9ecd hair was neatly fe590cca97 combed, and the 97921b6349 cold glint of 7a47f7b10f his gold-rimmed glasses, c5374c8f9d combined with his 53bc0d4025 piercing gaze, was 1c2d6795c7 enough to make 7f7a822a86 anyone flinch. But Hyewon met b9c7076e79 his eyes directly, f298c4df4e unwavering.2a2b884dd54e4ba9

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Cha Haegang still carried ffb5a3f5cb the sharpness of someone 55bce09c22 who had spent years f832baaa67 as a lawyer and cb234d4002 a statesman—someone used to a31dc5af1d handling people with precision.cfd50c5971674155

She couldn’t tell whether he a1aa360b32 saw her as the representative bd1017f1ac of Haepyung, the top law bf153f4eed firm in Korea, or as 533ce6223a the illegitimate child—like a wart—of 1e8b0e05e6 his son.741403cb95c62143

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Every time Cha Haegang looked 9add3cdc19 at her like that, Hyewon dc346329f1 found herself wondering if he 70cd6cfa87 looked at Cha Sieun the 80b90e7fe2 same way.bc1f4a330e12edd7

Maybe in front of Cha 4e8f5b01cb Sieun, he acted like a a476c865ee typical, doting grandfather. She knew the thought was 4958c6549e meaningless, but she couldn’t always 7eeae54ff5 stop them from creeping in.03496dbf57993de9

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“…It’s been a while. Shall we play a 02925c33b1 round of Go?”41518299e41f2bc1

He squinted at her eb9e813a0c for a long moment 7fdc9d495b before murmuring softly.30ad101e2236927f

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Whether he had 7dbe7053ae heard that quiet 0778854449 utterance or not, b55d28d7df Secretary Kim entered 8380fd0f4e and began setting 77f534fdad up the Go e5f0af753d board. Hyewon merely followed the b20bd03d8f inscrutable old man’s wishes.0b4fdf47b95fad45

The cool texture of 097d60c190 the Go stones wrapped 40ebd34aa2 around her fingers. The glossy black and white 4feacd32c8 stones slowly took their places 44f965f2fa on the board. They built territory, destroyed it, 7d2a2b0709 and strategized the next move—each 9a5396773b clash in silence intense and b37481c842 calculated.db52f6f2b28d3edb

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The old man’s c1afa1d8fd hand, holding a a15c387a90 black stone, paused 6724f23d05 briefly. Should she let him 6dc736414f have this one? Hyewon considered it. But the hesitation lasted only 2849d818d1 a second.3ff68a2618f7ba67

Why should she? She had lived cbf560dfdd her whole life 6249b4d73d stepping back, retreating, 80954b3c5b conceding—must she do 7e2cc6eda9 it here too, 054f250506 on this tiny bfb444d99d board?34d04d54f030e8ba

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Casting a cold glance e475666a98 at him, Hyewon placed 14493c7db6 her next move. His formation collapsed. It was a 48a45e6283 large group of ba65b8170f stones, and there 2d95bf1286 was no way 8bfa23f22d to rescue them 8169a3743f from every angle.9d028d851f405ce9

“…A double-threat attack,” he murmured.047a6df573709d3a

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There was no escape now, 68c70c7af9 no matter how hard he ac699d800b tried to fight back. She would gain nothing 69a0c0ed8f by beating him—but still, 43facc5e77 she didn’t want to 954c6217ce lose. In fact, it felt 04b54c9cf7 like he enjoyed losing b5bc178ce8 to her, watching her a6850b9a03 with a strange gleam 03c7925562 of delight that followed 3953df4c2b every defeat.d889fef09555bf78

“…Such a shame, really.”9bb02697e75e63e6

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He often said things 2e4ceb895a like this with no 26de2b0303 hesitation. He never said the 8abf156e63 rest out loud, but 12b157fe94 she knew what it 56b7f7b650 meant. That things might have been f41978980a different if she were a c9c0209c83 legitimate granddaughter, or even a d0b66a0014 son.c51b08135d9e6c0a

She had followed 9e5fb7849d directly in his 526b1b6f77 footsteps—top of her 732e25a5ae class in Korea e881f3d877 University’s law school, 03d0ac1593 passed the bar f619a537c4 before graduation, graduated b9ff43ffe2 first from the 0f32d563e5 Judicial Research and 8399324128 Training Institute—all things 1dcd95c0a8 even his own a8b284b423 son had failed 83ea67304e to achieve. That must’ve stirred up all af6fe4b0d6 kinds of conflicting emotions.c217c97f767f29cc

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Hyewon didn’t have some e06748f0f1 grand ambition as a 6262b6d7e2 lawyer. She had demanded something from dd5bb4521c him once, bold and unrepentant, 6dd560d5ef and now felt obligated to 56ccbbae22 repay it—no matter what it 220e015da6 took.97bcd0c4f133f322

Of course, there 05ef13297e was also her c5c2b7d5fc implicit resentment, petty 2a40710c79 pride, and jealousy c85418d2ce toward her half-sister.07b670e30f0bd578

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“…And your mother? Is she the same as d4902611b3 ever?”8bcfdf7c123e0335

Hyewon didn’t think d2444f9d13 he asked that ad4039c1af out of simple d6455d0bd1 meanness. He knew everything, 1e1a8e46c3 and yet he 65203caac0 still asked. Either something was coming and 73de873695 he wanted to shake her 73264f3386 emotionally, or—more out of character—he e87651e227 was growing sentimental or sympathetic.2212c46b823a9c59

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“She’s been doing better, thanks to you.”1f4cea942fdec094

Hyewon offered a vague reply, b93a0a83a1 a faint smile on her b42f8c922c lips.c3403da8398e6c4a

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“For her sake, you should go ahead and get married.”5a2e10a8d681a4ac

So this was it. The painstaking ink ab833b5dac grinding, the Go e8e0d3d560 match—it was all 51132fbdae groundwork to bring 36cd02f4dc up marriage.07b1a8897253018b

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She might’ve said yes if ef2d5e2eea he had just called through 114a3ae8ed Secretary Kim. Why go through all 122a4f48d0 this trouble?da85acd0eb9a19cc

Without protest, she agreed 2b612fdeeb and left the room, 353de3daac where the faint scent a7a28ce077 of cooling tea lingered. She felt suffocated—her hand 1f2184311e longed to undo the 99a714d182 top button of her f080af8e6b blouse, but she held 6771263f8b back.13453d02bbcbcc3b

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The sound of her 79087dab6b heels echoed softly on c456aeda59 the stepping stones. She straightened her 8d14d1fb34 back and endured a1bb52a1bd a little longer 9a0236b877 as she walked d1a0cb3468 out ofSaheonjae.c0bb612a25aca427

 87c00461b55adc89

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At that moment, the sound of the main gate opening was heard, and she saw Sieun and Jungrok entering side by side. It was only for a fleeting second, but Hyewon clearly saw Sieun’s expression—brightly smiling at him—freeze upon seeing her, only to return to normal.ac09de0a897f8964

“Oh? Hyewon-ah.”94e05cf9093526e8

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Before Sieun could say anything, 8bb3b36560 Jungrok reacted first.58e4a7b9605c7793

Hyewon liked Han Jungrok’s gentle e9330a3ba4 smile, which carried no malice d281cd73c8 as it was directed at 8a43dd713a her. He was one of 3b71fa4027 the few people who 076c4e9f81 knew the complicated circumstances e419b72440 of this family, and b66408d17b yet he still treated 8788d64670 her like a fellow b955f40475 human being. There was no way she 2fab0a2f25 couldn’t like him.16c20625bd23b746

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It must’ve started as 7cdba65b9d a simple, human fondness.f8a69cbf5ad6fb24

“Sunbae.”bb73ef274c6033e9

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She smiled softly f9d3ba56ff as she greeted f4b448c46f him.126c4e373414744f

“I heard you won again. Wasn’t that the 06b3ccc047 case everyone was 2539a193b5 avoiding? You’re amazing, Yoon Hyewon.”861268f1364e86d1

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He was, by cdfed0496d nature, a good 609dc2dc76 person. Someone who got rightfully e965052300 angry at injustice, someone 2eae7b5b60 who took care of ef3d32e136 the people around him ab01ab7964 warmly. That didn’t mean he c94781093e was ever negligent with 4b99ac8f2f his own work, either.68587569215d8b98

“I just got lucky.”808d29479a70e3da

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She answered with b5fc603d4d a calm smile, d84aaf330f as if his 9740bfa356 praise didn’t faze 1196a91a82 her.ec8419019b4b8521

“You know luck is a kind of skill too, right? Oh, and I heard you’re moving to the M&A team soon?”43254bc7527ecc4a

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“Yes, that’s right.”c6956c642bb21e95

Perhaps not liking their 5a8b0fe13c friendly exchange, Sieun cut 2dca25eb54 in. She gently tugged 918ca49f99 on his elbow 527c40adab and smiled, eyes 8b015c0dbf crinkling.40d7e92da140a852

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“Oppa, Mom and Dad are probably waiting.”48a26c9289060711

“Ah, look at me. Hyewon-ah, let’s catch up at 8bf68af147 the office later.”8767ba64137faf05

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To his innocent 3fa7729f81 remark, Hyewon gave a38116c593 a small nod 0f540ba502 in response.6b1a0da408a549e3

“Oppa, go on ahead. I have something 061334487c I want to 39a0f8e665 talk about with 64c374639b Hyewon.”0634b5fea6941d37

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Jungrok hesitated briefly, then f529d93f5c walked toward the modern 66c8dacbd6 stone building, perhaps sensing 20ecccbd74 this wasn’t his place. Once he was 3490a00a54 out of sight, 525d38a9eb Sieun turned her 42596ad54b head and met 083df1310d Hyewon’s gaze.e9d0565d12c8a6ca

There was no overt malice b0fb5f5637 in her eyes. In one sense, they 631e2927d3 were indifferent—but in truth, 3fdd3c67ab there was a contempt 43c1ff6b95 for her very existence.851864fcb9a0cb7c

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“Just in case you didn’t know, things are moving along with Jungrok oppa and me. Talk of marriage and all.”3fa413868a2ef826

Her tone was calm, 3ec32b1d8f but a subtle irritation e0aa1b1b22 and discomfort rippled beneath 33bec55869 the surface.f41fabb79b244a6c

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“I know.”13440f11df245e2c

Which was exactly why CEO fa570828a2 Cha Haegang was trying to d2c3f16414 marry Hyewon off. To prevent any 095a4e9db2 potential trouble before 534a0a9864 it started. Worried she might seduce 06123a0b15 another man like Yoon d1c1c52823 Seolhui had. Thinking blood can’t lie.a392e89f6faa8075

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Strictly speaking, the ad0cf586ae child hadn’t been 9a2fffdc19 made by Yoon d2aaceba92 Seolhui alone. It took two, 5aac998e9d after all, yet e2b93cadd9 it was always a867964f47 Seolhui who was b8079f3894 branded the bad 00a98a796d woman. As a child, Hyewon 34e3cbc5f9 couldn’t understand why—but with 63fbd5eb7b time, she came to 318835821c feel it deeply.3f5a1b512be3aad1

Yoon Seolhui, daughter 334da01578 of Unjeong—who once 0730afe3fd worked as a c7870e81f7 housekeeper in Cha 8d55afe108 Haegang’s home—ran away 6d7dc732f6 in a whirlwind bbb6ce9bf2 romance with Cha a3f19eeed4 Yoonbeom, who had e175a990c8 just graduated from 71400611a9 the Judicial Research c055b28e63 and Training Institute. The whole Cha be001909af family was thrown 58c0947509 into chaos. Within a month, they tracked 3b63a3e261 the couple down and dragged 31b2b402ab Cha Yoonbeom back, while Seolhui 3121205a08 vanished.8cdb13adbd57f63b

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When you consider the 0c5639d8dd dates, Hyewon was born 4283aa1476 in February, while Sieun 3fa45aaf06 was born in August. Meaning that “great love,” which 2997a1099a was supposedly worth throwing everything 6df1d770f0 away for, lasted only about f3a53e50ec six months.a9163d9859fee8d3

Disgusting. Maybe love was be9254a936 just a grand b69a557260 name slapped onto 53d1a050d7 raw lust.a9309690c1ba08e3

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From Sieun’s perspective, an illegitimate 55e3b02a6c half-sister had suddenly appeared and 317ee8a3ee shattered her perfect family.43adf509d1df16f3

Both daughters were born into 7a2a0dd61a similar families, raised without lacking ea0addf9ba anything, and cut from the 0b8e3f428e same cloth. From her point of view, 251e81368e how could Sieun not loathe f58ff36d39 the penniless Yoon Hyewon?1eda31d4f3d23485

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“How’s law school treating you?”d3d43d818c9658f5

And on top of that, 1c8e5b1821 Hyewon had the nerve to f36c7da319 hold her head high and a820248e7d throw in such annoyingly pointed 2d91dfac32 comments.47438324ba1215bd

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Hyewon had heard that Sieun d22185b6dd had to retake the college 9dee8e5dc8 entrance exam twice before she 5ed6184803 finally got into Korean National 1114ed766c University’s Law Department and later ea1f9ed76e its law school. But this was the 2c0b2489c1 first time she’d mentioned 6154fb5d77 it directly.4fd3dbae13756876

Sieun blushed in 386dcb1584 embarrassment, yet gave 4d61921a90 a cold smirk, b1c6a8f1fa as if to 69d1482214 say,Is that all you’ve got to hurt me with?b3246a1ea7abf7f7

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“I don’t need to beg for anything in life, unlike some people. I don’t have to scrape f8234b7e72 by.”839dfc14f07f2646

“No one said you did. Why so defensive?”d9dd4c9b2f9fd78f

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Her breezy, unfazed tone only 6151b51911 made Sieun visibly angrier. Hyewon figured that was 4c98a4ed05 enough teasing for one cdee416223 day.3e6f3c38c7075fb9

“……Why would someone like Cha Sieun bother with someone like me? Just leave me alone.”f5242934b8adefd4

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To the outside world, Cha e3ae7c4495 Sieun was the granddaughter of d3214d68a0 the chairman of Haepyung Law 46802d923c Firm—a man who had served 239433512c as both Prime Minister and 17b4bbe6af a Member of the National da0107c1de Assembly—and the daughter of Cha 9fada4c9c4 Yoonbeom, a respected senior prosecutor. Meanwhile, Yoon Hyewon 067c9cec8b was just a 51f52d29e1 nobody—a junior associate 6f6eda7438 who had barely bbfd646b91 landed a job 08f0589fea at Haepyung with 2514c8573a no backing or f450e01371 connections.9b84b1c302099eaf

“The one who needs to beg and scrape by should get going now. Your family must be waiting.”07a49750f23ee373

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With a serene smile, 5c047d43b8 she turned and left e399b9cf70 Saheonjae. Even after she had af47ec0140 put distance between herself 1072acf3cf and that place, she 4e8cd9cb67 maintained her straight posture 52ace2638a for a long while.b0e14126f3f20e88