Affectionate Obsession - Chapter 45

Sookhee’s eyes, curved in a smile, twitched for a moment. The more they did, the more Yeonhee’s lips curved with delight.

Junhyeok watched them in silence.

It wasn’t entirely unexpected, but the atmosphere that tightened around his throat was far more unsettling than he had imagined.

To those unaware of what was truly happening within the RM family, it might have appeared as a tender family reunion, but in Junhyeok’s eyes, the silent battle of nerves between the two women was starkly visible.

Moreover, their composure was precariously wavering. He judged that it was only a matter of time before their emotions escalated if left unchecked.

Junhyeok took a step forward, skillfully severing the line of sight between the two women.

“It has been a while, Grandmother. I hope you have been well.”

His tone was appropriately friendly yet formal.

Startled by Junhyeok’s sudden interjection, both Sookhee and Yeonhee turned their gazes towards him.

Junhyeok, showing no hint of tension, maintained his usual composure and fixed a direct gaze upon Sookhee.

How long did it last?

Sookhee’s face, previously filled with displeasure, vanished as if by magic, replaced by a benevolent smile.

“Yes, CEO Jeong. I have been very well. And I trust our CEO Jeong has been well with Sera, too?”

Her voice was incredibly affectionate. She faced Yeonhee as if nothing had happened, showing no trace of guilt.

Junhyeok himself was taken aback by her sheer audacity. But how must Yeonhee be feeling inside?

He could feel Yeonhee’s grip tighten on his arm, which was wrapped around his.

Fearing Yeonhee might lose her composure and reason, Junhyeok firmly clasped her hand and replied to Sookhee.

“Yes, Chairperson. Sera has been a great help in many ways. Thanks to her, I’ve been able to focus more on company matters. It’s true that what elders say is never wrong. I am satisfied with my marriage to Sera, precisely to that extent.”

His smoothly flowing words carried a subtle weight at the very end.

The intention to provoke Sookhee was abundantly clear.

Sookhee, of course, understood his meaning. Yet, no sooner had he spoken than Sookhee’s expression began to take on a significant glint.

“Indeed. One can only act with confidence when their foundation is solid. It warms my heart to hear that our Sera is fulfilling that role so well.”

A warm smile accompanied Sookhee’s words.

She appeared so much like a genuinely kind grandmother that Junhyeok, despite knowing her true nature, almost fell for her facade.

That is, until her next words.

“Ah, I heard you unilaterally terminated the contract with Bonheur, our RM Group’s food and beverage division? Even to the extent of forfeiting the entire penalty fee.”

A sharp light flashed in Sookhee’s eyes.

It seemed she had put on an uncharacteristic display of warmth solely to deliver this blow.

Junhyeok swallowed dryly. He had never considered Sookhee an easy opponent, but he hadn’t expected her to bring up the Bonheur issue so directly.

A realization dawned on him anew. Choi Sookhee was a far more formidable opponent than he had imagined.

Junhyeok composed his expression. He could not let Sookhee know he was tense.

There was no greater weakness to reveal to an opponent, akin to a predator, than the fear-based tension he felt.

Junhyeok parried her move with an unassailable front.

“Perhaps it is due to my lack of experience, but I found it difficult to continue with the methods employed by the former CEO, Director Park, who was dismissed. Given the various corruption charges that led to his dismissal, it seemed appropriate to cleanly wrap up his ongoing affairs.”

Junhyeok’s eyes, sharp with intent, met Sookhee’s directly. For a brief moment, Sookhee’s pupils flickered minutely.

Junhyeok’s lips curved upward with delight as he precisely captured that fleeting instant.

“That sounds as though you are implying our Bonheur was involved in corruption, just like Director Park.”

“That is a misunderstanding. I meant that I was setting things up to cleanly conclude the matters Director Park had been handling and to operate under my own methods. If my words were disrespectful to you, Chairperson, I apologize. I am sorry.”

Junhyeok bowed his head slightly, displaying the public demeanor befitting a grandson-in-law without hesitation.

Of course, even that action was calculated.

Had things gone according to his original plan, he wouldn’t have gone this far. But seeing Sookhee’s unwavering demeanor even after facing Yeonhee had infuriated him. It felt contemptible.

So, he wanted to show Sookhee faltering, even in this manner, to his eyes and Yeonhee’s.

Junhyeok subtly lowered his gaze. He saw Sookhee’s tightly clenched fist within his field of vision.

That alone was enough to know that Sookhee’s composure was completely shaken.

Concealing her expression was likely something she had done countless times while building the RM Group, so it wouldn’t have been difficult for her.

Yet, this Sookhee was trembling. It meant she was so enraged that she couldn’t hide her emotions.

That alone was the greatest victory he could achieve at this moment.

There was no longer any reason to remain.

Junhyeok turned his head towards Yeonhee.

He intended to leave, using any excuse necessary.

He wanted to walk out of the banquet hall and give Yeonhee a moment to breathe.

However, before he could even speak to Yeonhee, Choi Sookhee’s voice ensnared his throat.

“Not at all. A man should be bold like you, CEO Jeong. If that was your position, I was disappointed when I first heard about it, but I understand completely now.”

Her words were dripping with sarcasm. Though her tone was soft, Junhyeok was no novice to be fooled by such a flimsy pretense.

She was clearly making pointed remarks, conscious of the surrounding eyes. But how should he respond?

As he briefly pondered, Sookhee’s voice was added.

“Still, if a similar incident occurs again, it would be good if you could give me a heads-up beforehand. Surely, you can do that much for family, can’t you?”

Sookhee used the word ‘family’ as an excuse to willingly position herself as the subordinate.

Although he knew there wasn’t a shred of sincerity in her words from the start, Junhyeok felt a surge of anger.

His previously maintained composure was rendered meaningless as his emotions churned violently.

It wasn’t because Sookhee’s pretense of benevolence, mindful of her surroundings, was pathetic, nor was it because Yeonhee’s fingertips, touching his arm, were trembling slightly.

It was because, when she spoke of family, Sookhee’s persistent gaze was fixed solely on Yeonhee.

Her action conveyed not only a complete lack of guilt towards Yeonhee but also a resolute stance that she would never feel remorse towards Yeonhee in the future, making his head throb.

He hadn’t intended to let things slide easily from the beginning. Starting today, he intended to watch Choi Sookhee’s downfall with his own eyes.

He felt that any kind of miserable end Choi Sookhee met would be acceptable.

But now, it was different.

“I was shortsighted, Chairperson. It seems I was too rigid, being my first time in a CEO position.”

He wanted to inflict upon her the greatest despair, misery, and shame a person could feel.

He felt that only by drawing tears from those eyes, devoid of any worry, could his current anger be somewhat soothed.

To achieve that, he had to push Sookhee, if possible, to the very brink of ruin.

Junhyeok’s gaze never left Sookhee’s lips.

“Not at all. Anyone can make mistakes when dealing with external affairs.”

If he could personally drag this damned old woman down to ruin with his own hands…

“Of course, one must not repeat the same mistake.”

He suddenly wondered if, at that time, a single word of apology towards Yeonhee would emerge from between those lips, curved in a smile.

Junhyeok met Sookhee’s gaze directly and curved his lips upward. It was a resolute smile, its meaning inscrutable.

With that, he offered his reply to Sookhee.

The banquet hall, previously abuzz with conversations in small groups, fell silent.

The auction was in full swing on the main stage.

Yeonhee sat in her designated seat, trying to focus on the event.

Or rather, she was trying to.

“……”

Yeonhee blinked repeatedly, pretending to be unfazed, yet she couldn’t stop her entire attention from being drawn to the seat right beside her.

The venue was arranged with round tables, each seating between three and six people.

To prevent confusion, tables were assigned so that couples or families could sit together, with company names printed on place cards instead of attendees’ names.

Yeonhee was seated at a table marked ‘HN Group’ along with Junhyeok and Chairman Jeong and his wife.

And originally, the family of Hyun Jin Construction would have been seated at the adjacent table, closest to them.

The place card in the center of the table clearly read ‘Hyun Jin Construction,’ meaning she should have been seated next to unfamiliar people.

But…

“Someone told me something over thirty years ago.”

Sookhee’s voice pierced Yeonhee’s ears unexpectedly.

Yeonhee’s gaze, against her will, followed the sound. She then saw Sookhee, who had been staring straight ahead, slowly turn her head.

And the moment their gazes perfectly met.

“Greed often leads to ruin, you know.”

The utterly preposterous statement struck Yeonhee’s back of the head like a heavy blow.

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