Chapter 8
The weekend passed in silence.
By Monday morning, I was already seated at my desk. My calendar was clear aside from one thing.
Daehan Group.
The clock on the wall ticked toward nine as I made a final skim through the project brief.
Regional infrastructure collaboration.
That was the headline. But I knew better than to take things at face value when it came to company like Daehan. Especially not when they requested the meeting themselves.
A sharp knock pulled me from my thoughts.
"Come in."
The door opened, and Harin stepped inside."Chairwoman, the Daehan Group representative has arrived. They're waiting in the executive conference room."
I looked up. "The Chairman came in person?"
Harin shook her head. "No, ma'am. Chairman Hwang had an urgent meeting with a government committee this morning and had to remain in Busan. He sent his daughter in his place."
I stilled slightly. "…His daughter?"
Harin gave a small nod. "Yes. Hwang Sera. She's listed as the official heir and executive director of future strategy at Daehan. She's leading the delegation today."
The name hit me harder than I expected.
Hwang Sera.
It had been nine years since I last heard that name. We were in the same year and shared the same major at university. A stunning beauty and brain so flawless it almost didn't seem real. The media once dubbed us rivals, although we barely spoke.
Then, before graduation, she disappeared. She went abroad to study and later joined Daehan's European branch.
I leaned back in my chair. "I didn't know she returned to Korea."
"Just last quarter. This is her first formal appearance as Daehan's representative. Their legal and strategy teams are with her."
I looked out the tall glass window, watching traffic thread through the city below.
So Chairman Hwang was playing his next card. Sending Sera meant this wasn't just a test run. They were serious about this partnership. And if Sera was the one leading it, then this wasn't just business.
It was future succession.
And I wasn't about to let her walk into my building and assume she could match me.
"Have Legal bring the infrastructure drafts and tax incentive outlines. And tell our analyst to prepare slides for long-term joint logistics deployment in the west coast. If Daehan wants a serious deal, they'll need to show more than empty interest."
"Understood."
I stood slowly and straightening my suit. "Let's go."
"Yes, Chairwoman."
Harin stepped aside as I moved past her and out into the corridor.
If this meeting was going to be about alliances and power, then I was ready.
Because no matter how brilliant Hwang Sera was, this was my turf now.
———
The elevator doors slid open with a quiet chime.
I stepped out first and followed by Harin. Behind me walked two of Nara Group's senior legal advisors and one associate. All three carried black folders and tablet devices, their expressions calm but focused.
Outside the executive meeting room, another female assistant stood waiting.
"They've arrived. All set inside."
I nodded once, then pushed the door open.
The room fell into a brief silence as I entered. At the far end of the long conference table, a woman stood from her seat.
She was tall and sharp, with a confident smile tugging at her lips.
Hwang Sera.
She hadn't changed.
Still elegant and magnetic. Her outfit as calculated as ever. She looked like she belonged on a magazine cover.
"Chairwoman Seo. It's been a while."
My eyes didn't waver. "Since university."
"Yeah. I almost didn't recognize you," she said as she walked over.
I gave a polite smile. "Same here. I heard you were studying in Geneva?"
"Finished my dual degree three years ago. Father decided it was time I took a more active role."
"So he sent you in his place."
"He had to attend a meeting with a government committee in Busan, but he sends his regards and his full confidence."
I gave a nod. "Let's begin."
We took our seats across from one another. My legal team settled to my left. Her delegation, two senior executives and one logistics analyst sat quietly beside her, placing tablets and printed documents on the table.
Harin remained by the door, taking notes silently from a corner.
Sera leaned forward slightly. "As has been stated, Chairwoman Seo, Daehan Group is prepared to explore a long-term collaboration with Nara Construction on the regional infrastructure development project in the Incheon coastal district."
I tapped the cap of my pen once against my notepad. "Your proposal mentioned shared logistics routes and joint usage of port storage. Are you suggesting shared ownership or operational leasing?"
"Operational leasing, initially," she replied. "With room to renegotiate ownership once Phase Two is launched. In return, we'd grant Nara Construction exclusive rights to all structural expansion projects within the port complex."
"Port expansion will require government clearance," I pointed out. Environmental and maritime regulations won't make that process simple."
Sera smiled. "Which is why we brought our own compliance roadmap. Our legal team has already conducted a preliminary review with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. I've included the documents here." She slid a file across the table.
I opened it.
It was well-prepared. Even the legal phrasing was sharp.
I handed it to my lead counsel without comment.
"Funding split?"
"Fifty-one to forty-nine. Majority stake under Daehan's logistics branch for Phase One, with proportional control shared through a project-specific subsidiary."
"And land use?"
"Daehan will acquire the logistics zone. Nara Group handles vertical development and inland distribution structures."
I paused, tapping my pen again.
It wasn't a bad offer. In fact, it was a carefully calculated one. Daehan wanted access to construction expertise without shouldering the entire build risk. And in return, they'd offer deep access to South Korea's most important shipping routes.
But still… I knew her.
Hwang Sera never walked into a room without a longer game.
"What's Daehan's real objective here?"
Sera didn't flinch. "National logistics realignment. The coastal corridor is going to shift in the next decade. This is a chance to build the pipeline before others catch on."
I studied her face.
Confident and strategic, as always. But underneath that, I sensed something more personal. That gleam in her eye, that slight tilt of her head when she looked at me.
We had competed against each other before, perfectly matched in every measurable way.
Back then, I'd barely edged her out.
But maybe this time, she wasn't just here for the deal.
Maybe she was here to win something else.
Still, I kept my voice calm. "I'll have my legal team review your compliance map in detail. If everything checks out, we'll proceed with a formal memorandum of agreement next quarter."
Sera nodded. "Looking forward to it."
The meeting continued for several more hours. We went over details, negotiation terms, and phased project planning. Both sides took notes, exchanged timelines, and outlined key review milestones.
Finally, we stood.
"It was a pleasure seeing you again, Yuna," Sera said as she extended her hand.
I took it briefly. "I'll let you know our decision after legal review."
"Of course," she smiled. "Say hello to the board for me."
I didn't respond. I only watched as she turned and walked out with her team.
When the room was empty, I finally exhaled.
That woman hadn't come just for collaboration.
She was planning something.
And I needed to be ready.
———
The weekend dragged by slower than I expected.
I couldn't go out. Not even to the convenience store. Yuna said she wanted me to "rest", but I knew what that really meant. She just wanted me inside, where she could keep an eye on me.
So I stayed in. Like a good husband.
I didn't bring up the university visit again after Friday. Maybe part of me hoped she'd ask what time we were going. Maybe she'd say something or anything, to show she remembered. But she didn't.
By the time Monday arrived, I'd stopped expecting it.
I sat at my desk, chin propped on my palm, trying to focus on Professor Lee's lecture.But the classroom felt different today. Everyone was more awake than usual.
At least half the class was just waiting for one thing.
The clock hit 1:30 p.m. sharp.
"Alright, everyone," Professor Lee said, snapping his laptop shut. "Make sure you're wearing your university tags. The bus is waiting in front of the main gate. We'll head out now. Group leaders, double-check your lists."
Everyone stand up and prepare to move.
As we walked toward the bus, Hyunjae grinned and elbowed me lightly. "You ready, Mr. Married Man?"
I gave a tired smile. "For what?"
Hyunjae leaned closer, "We're heading straight into rich people territory, man."
I gave him a dry look. "What?"
"Nara Group," he said like it was obvious. "Dude, everyone's nervous. Half the people here are panicking about how to act in front of those big shots."
I gave a small chuckle. "You'll be fine."
Hyunjae glanced over. "You sure you're not nervous?"
"Why would I be?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. You've got that whole mysterious husband energy going on lately. Makes me think you're secretly tied to someone on the inside."
"Don't be ridiculous."
He laughed, unconvinced. "Whatever you say, man."
A moment later, we arrived at the bus, climbed the stairs, and took our seats. Around us, students started talking among themselves about the building, Seo Yuna, and the possibility of meeting someone important there.
Then the atmosphere in the bus changed.
Kang Dohyun stepped on, walking up the stairs, with two of his usual friends following close behind.
No one was surprised to see him now. But that didn't stop the sudden hush, the way conversations faded into whispers, the way every other head subtly turned his way.
"He's actually taking the bus with us?"
"I thought he'd show up in a separate car or something."
"I can't believe someone like him is in our department…"
Some of the girls straightened their posture and tucked their hair behind their ears. Even some of the guys lowered their voices, glancing his way with a mix of curiosity and envy.
His friends laughed quietly at something he said as they passed by, like this was just another routine meeting on his schedule.
He headed straight for the third row and took a window seat. The others followed, dropping into the seats beside and behind him.
The bus engine started, and we pulled away from campus.
Hyunjae leaned toward me. "Of course he rides with us," he muttered.
I just looked back out the window. My thoughts drifted.
The ride didn't take long. The traffic cleared near the heart of Seoul's business district, where the buildings looked like they'd been polished just for show. Then someone near the front sat up straight.
"There it is."
I looked up.
The Nara Group headquarters towered over the block like it owned the street. Glass panels shimmered in the late afternoon sun. Cars moved in and out of the underground garage. The logo gleamed at the top of the building like a crown.
Even Hyunjae whistled low. "Damn. This is next level."
The bus turned into the private drive.
A professional-looking woman from the PR team waited at the entrance, dressed in a navy pantsuit with a badge clipped to her chest.
"Welcome, students of XXX University," she called as the doors opened. "Please gather your belongings. The tour will begin shortly."
We stood, one by one.
The air shifted.
Some of the students checked their ties or fixed their hair. A few whispered, "Do you think we'll see her?"
As for me?
I stepped off the bus quietly, hoping no one here would remember my face from the last time I came to this building.