The dining room glows—soft, golden, perfect.
The long table stretches like a line of duty, set with the same precision my father demands from life, from business… from me.
From the moment I step inside, I feel the weight of it settle across my shoulders.
I sit down quietly. Outside, I look calm.
Inside, I already want to leave.
Dad's sharp, piercing gaze lands on me the moment I take my seat.
I exhale, eyes dropping to my plate. No matter what I do, no matter how much I try—this man, this flawless king of the Lee family—he always finds disappointment in me.
Sometimes I wonder if he's really my father, or just a rival born too early.
Beside me, Alex sits with his usual easy charm, smiling like he's already won the night.
Dad turns to him.
"Alex, how's your business?"
Alex brightens. "Everything is going well, Dad. And I've decided—we'll launch our hotel branch in America soon."
Dad's lips curl into the rare, proud smile I almost never see directed at me.
