The next morning, the mansion was unusually quiet. Hye-rin sat at the breakfast table, scrolling through her messages when Joon-hyuk appeared from the hallway, crisp suit and all business as usual. He glanced briefly at her half-empty plate, then at her phone.
"You're ready for the trip, I assume?" he said, his tone casual—too casual.
She nodded, sipping her coffee. "Mostly. I just need to finish packing."
"Good. We leave at nine tomorrow." He paused, then added, "My assistant already booked the flight and accommodations."
Her eyes flicked up. "For me and Se-hee?"
That made him look at her properly. "Se-hee?"
She tilted her head. "Yes. You said I could bring a friend."
"I did," he replied slowly, straightening his cuffs, "but I didn't think you'd actually take me up on it."
"I didn't think you'd mind," she said, a faint smile teasing her lips. "It's not like I'm your real fiancée, right? Just… part of the image."
That earned her a quiet exhale from him. "Right. The image," he repeated, but there was something sharp under the calm.
For a moment, silence hung between them—thin, almost crackling. Then he turned toward the door, voice steady again. "Fine. She can come. Make sure she behaves professionally."
Hye-rin grinned to herself. "You sound like you're worried she'll outshine you."
He stopped, one hand on the doorknob, then gave her a sidelong look. "Don't push it, Miss Kang."
She laughed, and he hated how the sound stayed in his head even as he walked away.
Later, as he stood by the car waiting for his driver, he caught sight of her through the window—smiling brightly while texting someone. Probably Se-hee. Or worse, Min-jae.
He frowned. He didn't know why it bothered him, but it did.
And though he told himself it was just about maintaining appearances, his chest felt a little too tight for that to be true.