Dinner was over, but the air was still crackling — too tight, too charged. The polite laughter of the investors faded into the night as they left the dining area, but at the far end of the hall, two men remained locked in a silent storm.
Hye-rin could feel it. Everyone could.
Joon-hyuk's jaw had been tight all evening, his voice too calm, too controlled — like a man holding himself together by sheer will. Across from him, Min-jae sat relaxed, brown hair falling perfectly over his eyes, his expression smooth but his words sharp.
When the investors finally began to disperse, Joon-hyuk stood abruptly. "I need some air," he muttered.
The chair's scrape against the marble floor made Hye-rin flinch.
Min-jae leaned back with a faint smirk. "Don't stay out too long. Wouldn't want the press to think the groom's already running away from his bride."
The words slid in like a knife.
Joon-hyuk didn't reply. He just straightened his jacket and walked out into the cool night air.
A few minutes later, Min-jae rose too. "Excuse me," he said to no one in particular, and followed the same path.
Hye-rin hesitated, heart pounding. Something about the look in both their eyes told her this wasn't going to end well.
She whispered something to Se-hee and hurried after them.
The night air smelled faintly of pine and sea salt. Lanterns glowed softly along the path behind the resort. That's where she found them — two tall figures framed in gold light and shadow.
Joon-hyuk's voice was low, roughened by restraint. "You really can't help yourself, can you?"
Min-jae gave a humorless chuckle. "You mean existing in the same space as you?"
"Stay out of my business, Min-jae."
"Your business?" Min-jae's tone hardened. "You mean the company you built just to spite the one our grandfather entrusted us with?"
Joon-hyuk's hand flexed at his side. "You don't understand. I had to."
"No, you wanted to," Min-jae snapped. "Because sharing power with anyone else — even family — has always been beneath you."
Joon-hyuk's eyes burned. "You think I did it for myself? I built LJ Group from the ground up — alone. No inheritance, no backing, nothing. Everything I have, I earned."
"Earned?" Min-jae stepped closer, voice rising. "You walked away from your father's legacy. From our family. You threw away everything our grandfather and fathers built, just to feed your ego!"
Joon-hyuk's composure cracked. "Don't talk about my father like you knew him!"
"I knew what he wanted!" Min-jae shot back, fury flashing across his face. "He wanted unity, Joon-hyuk. He wanted you to carry the name with pride — not bury it under your arrogance!"
Something broke in the air between them — a final thread snapping.
"You think you understand me?" Joon-hyuk's voice dropped, dark and unsteady. "You never will."
And before either of them realized it, Min-jae had grabbed Joon-hyuk by the collar, their faces inches apart.
"You stand for nothing but yourself!"
"Let go of me," Joon-hyuk hissed.
"Or what?"
"Stop it!"
Hye-rin's voice sliced through the night, trembling but fierce. She ran forward, her breath sharp in the cold air. "Both of you — stop this!"
Min-jae released his grip, breathing hard. Joon-hyuk's fists were still clenched, his knuckles white, his chest heaving with something far deeper than anger.
Min-jae looked away first. "He'll destroy everything, Hye-rin," he muttered, voice rough. "He already has."
Joon-hyuk's gaze flickered to her — regret, pain, and pride twisting beneath the surface — but he said nothing.
Hye-rin's voice broke as she whispered, "Just stop it… please."
The night swallowed her words, leaving them standing there — three people bound by silence, by history, by the things they could no longer undo.