The buzzing in Ji-Hoon's pocket finally died out, leaving a ringing silence in the private room of the Grand Hyatt. He stood paralyzed for a heartbeat, his gaze locked onto Han Seo-Yeon. She didn't offer a smile, an apology, or even a nod of acknowledgment for the thirty minutes he had spent counting the cracks in the mahogany table.
She moved with a cold, predatory grace, pulling out a chair and sitting down before he could even offer a greeting.
"Finally, you showed up," Ji-Hoon remarked, his voice laced with a bitter edge.
Seo-Yeon didn't look up as she adjusted her cuffs. "I don't have time for pleasantries, Mr. Kang. My schedule is tight, so let's speak quickly."
Ji-Hoon let out a frustrated, cynical laugh. "I waited half an hour for you. Most people start with an apology, not a command."
Seo-Yeon finally looked at him, her eyes as sharp as ice. "People with nothing but free time always have the luxury of waiting. I, however, have a corporation to run. Whether you sit or stand is your choice, but I am starting now."
Ji-Hoon gritted his teeth and sank into the chair opposite her. The power dynamic had shifted the moment she stepped into the room, and it galled him. Before he could speak, Seo-Yeon slid a thick, leather-bound folder across the table toward him.
"What is this?" he asked, staring at the document.
"A marriage agreement," she stated flatly.
Ji-Hoon blinked. "An agreement? We haven't even had water yet, and you're handing me a contract?"
"I am not interested in marriage, Mr. Kang. I am doing this for the stability of our companies. This document ensures that our personal lives do not interfere with the merger."
Across the city, the atmosphere at the Yoo Estate was the polar opposite. The birthday party was a whirlwind of music, expensive champagne, and elite guests. Yoo Ara stood at the center of the ballroom, the perfect hostess, but her heart was a knot of mounting fury. Every time the door opened, she looked for Ji-Hoon. Every time it wasn't him, the fire in her eyes grew darker.
"Ara, you're so beautiful tonight," one of her socialite friends gushed. "I don't understand how a woman like you is still single. No boyfriend? No engagement on the horizon?"
Ara forced a flawless, plastic smile. "My work is my partner for now. Romance is... distracting."
She cut her birthday cake under a shower of confetti, laughing and drinking with the guests, but the moment the last car pulled away from the driveway, the mask shattered. Her friends and Ji-Hoon's circle had left, promising he was "just finishing up some work," but she knew better. As she stood alone in the quiet, echoing hall of her home, the questions about boyfriends and marriage rang in her ears like an insult.
Back at the Hyatt, Ji-Hoon flipped through the pages of the contract, his eyes widening.
"Three months?" he asked.
"Three months," Seo-Yeon confirmed. "A temporary marriage to stabilize the Kang Group's stock and finalize the merger. In public, we are the perfect couple. In private, we are strangers. You will move into my house—"
"Your house?" Ji-Hoon interrupted, leaning forward. "In your dreams. You seem to forget that my family is the one helping your father's vision. I'm not moving into your territory."
"It was your father's suggestion, not mine," she countered, her voice unfazed. "He wants you under a roof where you can be monitored. Furthermore, you will report to the Han Corporation daily. You will work alongside me for these three months."
"Work?" Ji-Hoon stood up, his frustration boiling over. "I'm a club owner, not a desk clerk. Why the hell would I work for you?"
"Again, your father's choice. He believes you need to learn how a real company functions before he hands you the keys to his. During these three months, there will be no physical contact. No feelings. Nothing."
Ji-Hoon laughed harshly. "Fine. You don't have to worry about that. Even if you didn't ask, I wouldn't be your 'husband.' I already have a girlfriend—someone I actually love. The moment these ninety days are up, I'm marrying her."
Seo-Yeon stood up, smoothing her skirt. Her expression didn't change at the mention of another woman. "I don't care about your love life, Mr. Kang. Do not interfere with mine, and I will not interfere with yours. But if you break a single clause of this contract, I will personally ensure the merger is canceled and your father's company collapses."
She checked her watch. "The wedding will be performed in one week. Prepare yourself."
Without waiting for his response, she turned and walked out, her secretaries falling into step behind her. Ji-Hoon watched her go, a frustrated smirk plastered on his face. He was trapped, signed, and delivered.
Across town, the silence in Yoo Ara's house was broken by the sharp, sudden ring of the doorbell.
Ara, still in her birthday dress, walked toward the door with a glimmer of hope in her eyes. She reached for the handle, convinced it was finally Ji-Hoon coming to apologize for the night he had missed.
End of Chapter 6...