Chapter 27
Deep within the sleek corporate tower of the city, the atmosphere inside Mr. Lee's private executive office was exceptionally quiet.
Behind a massive glass desk sat Mr. Lee, his brow furrowed as his sharp eyes meticulously scanned the pages of a thick financial file.The silence was abruptly shattered by the sharp vibrate and ring of his personal cell phone.
Mr. Lee paused, setting his pen down to glance at the illuminated screen. The display didn't show a contact name—only a string of digits labeled Unknown.
Intrigued, he picked it up, swiped the screen, and brought the device to his ear.
"Hello?" Mr. Lee spoke into the receiver, his tone characteristically formal.
"Father, how are you and the family?" a smooth, familiar voice responded.
Mr. Lee's posture instantly straightened as he recognized the voice on the other end of the line.
"Son?" he gasped, a mixture of shock and relief flooding his chest. Through the speaker, he could hear the faint sound of Lee-Dae chuckling at his father's sudden breathlessness.
"How... how are you?"
"I am good," Lee-Dae replied casually, his tone light. He didn't offer any immediate explanations for his absence before jumping straight to the question weighing on his mind.
"Are you hearing from your wife and my fiancée?"
"Yes, yes, yes," Mr. Lee answered quickly, eager to keep his son on the line.
"How is she faring?" Lee-Dae asked, his voice softening with genuine care.
Mr. Lee swiveled around slowly in his leather executive chair, staring out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the sprawling skyline below.
"She is doing fine," he assured him, thinking of the young woman.
"Okay..." Lee-Dae murmured, a wave of visible relief washing over his tone.Sensing that his son might hang up at any moment, Mr. Lee leaned forward, his voice tightening with paternal urgency.
"Son, where on earth are you?"
"Somewhere around," Lee-Dae deflected smoothly, offering no clues to his exact coordinates.
"Don't worry about me, Father. I'm not alone. I have Kim Jo and Seo-Joon with me."
Mr. Lee's eyes widened slightly at the mention of his companions. "But, but—"
"Bye," Lee-Dae interrupted gently.Before Mr. Lee could demand another word, a sharp click echoed through the receiver, followed by the dull drone of a dial tone. Lee-Dae had hung up.
"Hmm..." Mr. Lee hummed heavily to himself, slowly lowering the phone from his ear.He stared at the blank screen for a long, quiet moment, his mind racing with questions about what his son, Kim Jo, and Seo-Joon were up to. Realizing he wouldn't get answers today, he let out a quiet sigh, dropped the phone back onto the desk, and picked up the corporate file he had been reviewing before Lee-Dae's unexpected call interrupted his morning.
The scene shifts down the grand staircase of a beautifully modern home as Mr. Hanuel makes his way downstairs. He was completely engrossed in his phone, typing away and chatting with his friends as he stepped out of the master bedroom to start the day.
Reaching the spacious living area, his attention shifted entirely to his beautiful wife, Mrs. Hanuel, who was sitting gracefully on the sofa. He walked over and slid onto the cushion right beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist and leaning in to press a soft, lingering kiss against her cheek. Feeling his warm presence, she gladly dropped her own phone onto the coffee table, turning her full focus toward him.
Ready for bed?" Mrs. Hanuel asked, a warm, genuine smile lighting up her face as she looked into his eyes.
"hmm," Mr. Hanuel murmured. He leaned in closer, pecking her lips affectionately this time.Her smile widened into a beautiful grin, her eyes dancing with amusement at how clingy he was being so late in the day.
"What is it, love?"
"I'm hungry," he confessed softly, his expression turning entirely playful as he waited for her reaction.
Mrs. Hanuel teased him with a soft tilt of her head.
"And what exactly do you want to eat?"
"You," Mr. Hanuel replied with a sharp, charming grin.Mrs. Hanuel let out a melodious laugh, blushing deeply at his bold reply. She began to stand up to head toward the kitchen to fix dinner but he was much too quick. With a gentle, firm tug of his arm, he caught her hand, drawing her back down toward him.She smiled, giving in to his touch, and leaned over to wrap her arms securely around his neck. She began to hug him tightly, and Mr. Hanuel held her close, kissing her back hungrily as the soft morning sunlight completely filled the room.
***
Miles away from the quiet suburban Night from Europe, sunlit living area where a massive flat-screen television dominated the wall. Kim Jo and Lucy sat close together on the carpet, their eyes glued to the screen as they focused intently on an intense video game match.
"Are you ready?" Kim Jo asked, a confident smirk playing on his lips as his thumbs flew across the controller.
"Yes," Lucy replied, her gaze unblinking as she matched his moves perfectly.For a few tense minutes, the room was filled with the rhythmic clicking of buttons and the explosive sounds of the game. With a final, decisive move, Lucy completely blocked his character, forcing Kim Jo's avatar into a corner until the screen flashed a definitive Game Over.
Kim Jo stared at the screen in mock defeat, setting his controller down with a dramatic sigh. He turned his attention to a platter of freshly baked, delicious pastries sitting on the coffee table nearby.
"You won," Kim Jo conceded, looking at her warmly.
"All for you."Lucy blinked, looking back at him in genuine surprise.
"For me?"
"Of course," Kim Jo smiled. He leaned closer to her, picking up one of the pastries and holding it up to her lips.
"Where do you want to start from?"Lucy blushed slightly at the sudden affection.
"Anywhere..." she whispered, opening her mouth to take a small bite.Kim Jo began feeding her gently, watching her expression change as she tasted it.
"So?" he asked, eager for her verdict.Lucy's eyes lit up as she chewed, a soft hum of approval escaping her lips.
"Wow! It's so delicious!"
"Want more?" Kim Jo asked, a satisfied grin spreading across his face.
"Yes!" Lucy nodded enthusiastically.
From the sofa behind them, Seo-Joon sighed heavily as he watched the overly sweet interaction unfold right in front of him. He looked down at Lee-Dae, who was lounging lazily on the cushions after tossing his phone onto the side table following his brief call to his father. To pass the time, Seo-Joon began to playfully mess with Lee-Dae's perfectly styled hair.
"You are jealous," Lee-Dae drawled, keeping his eyes firmly shut and not bothering to move away from Seo-Joon's hands.Seo-Joon rolled his eyes dramatically at the accusation.
"Says who?"
"Mr. Fox said it all," Lee-Dae shot back smoothly, a knowing smirk on his lips as he enjoyed teasing his friend.
"Can you boys just move away?" Seo-Joon asked, letting out an annoyed huff as he tried to swat at the air, his irritation growing by the second.
Lee-Dae simply let out a low chuckle, not moving an inch from his comfortable spot. He looked up at Seo-Joon with a teasing glint in his eyes.
" Let him enjoy himself. You are an extraction game plan!"
"I'm not!" Seo-Joon snapped immediately, crossing his arms defensively.
"You are!" Lee-Dae fired back smoothly, his smirk widening.
"I'm not!" Seo-Joon insisted, his voice rising slightly in mock anger.
From her spot on the floor, Lucy watched the two of them bicker back and forth. A bright, genuine smile stretched across her face, thoroughly entertained by how quickly the two mature men could turn into stubborn kids.She turned her gaze back toward Kim Jo, who had been quietly watching the spectacle unfold alongside her. Meeting her eyes, Kim Jo playfully batted his eyelashes at her in a dramatic, goofy way. Lucy couldn't help but let out a soft laugh at his antics, prompting Kim Jo to smile warmly back at her.
"So cute," Kim Jo murmured softly, completely tuned out from the noise behind them.Lucy's smile deepened, and she leaned into him as the two of them kept eating their pastries, effortlessly ignoring the chaos in the background where the argument was still going strong.
"You are!" Lee-Dae reiterated loudly.
"I'm not!"
"You are!"
"I'm not!" Seo-Joon yelled back, throwing his hands up in defeat as Lee-Dae laughed out loud, thoroughly satisfied with himself for winning yet another round of teasing.