Kyung was right—Kiera didn't believe in wishes. She always said, "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride." But right now, she decided to give it a shot.
She took the coin Kyung offered, closed her eyes for three seconds, and tossed it into the pond. Then she turned to Kyung and said,
"You have wishes too, don't you? Make one and toss a coin."
Kyung laughed, picked up a coin, and tossed it into the pond as well. They were still exploring N Tower.
They reached a part of the building where countless locks were attached to a fence.
"What the hell is this?" Kiera asked, her eyes shining with confusion.
"They're called love locks. Couples come here and attach padlocks and notes to the fence. It symbolizes eternal love and commitment," Kyung explained.
"Ha! Well, I think Jack and Mum should be the ones doing that. The word commitment makes it sound worth it, but I still find the whole thing pointless. Let's keep moving. This section's definitely not for us." Kiera grabbed Kyung's arm and led her away.
Kyung chuckled and shook her head.
"Uh… what's that?" Kiera asked, pointing at something she hadn't noticed before.
"Oh, that's a cable car! Come, come, let's ride one," Kyung said in a playful, baby-like voice.
"No, no, it's not really—" Kiera began protesting, but Kyung had already dragged and pushed her into the cable car.
"Oh. It's not as bad as I thought," Kiera said to herself, then smiled at Kyung.
After the ride, they dined at N Grill, a French restaurant.
"Kiera, where did you learn to use chopsticks?" Kyung asked playfully. "Back at the hotel, you devoured the ramyeon like a pro. Is there something you're not telling me?"
"Oh, that?" Kiera smiled awkwardly. "Back in middle school, I was obsessed with South Korea. Loved K-dramas as a kid. One thing I admired was how they ate with chopsticks, so I looked it up online and learned."
"That's great! After this, let's go see the Han River," Kyung said, clapping excitedly.
When they got to the river, they enjoyed the cool breeze in silence. For once, Kiera felt joy in her heart.
"Thank you, Aunt," she said, turning to Kyung with a soft smile.
"It's fine. Your joy is my joy. And I want to see you even happier," Kyung said, gently touching Kiera's face.
Not far away…
"Are they lesbians? I haven't seen lesbians in South Korea before," Eun-Sang whispered to Lee-Soo.
"Stop talking rubbish and enjoy the breeze," Lee-Soo replied coldly.
"Did those guys just call us lesbians?" Kyung asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Yeah, one of them did. Their voices sound... familiar," Kiera replied. Her eyes suddenly widened. "Ah! Eun-Sang!"
Recognizing Kiera's voice, Eun-Sang rushed over. The two hugged instinctively, leaving Lee-Soo and Kyung raising their eyebrows in surprise.
"You look happier. Wait—was it because of me?" Eun-Sang teased.
"Who knows… maybe," Kiera replied sarcastically.
The light moment made Lee-Soo uncomfortable. He didn't understand why, but he needed to end it—and quickly. He was still irritated by how Kiera had treated him at the airport. Clearing his throat, he got her attention.
"Uh, Lee-Soo… I'm really sorry for being rude at the airport," Kiera said sincerely. "I wasn't feeling okay at the time."
Kyung, meanwhile, had been staring at Lee-Soo the entire time. Kiera noticed. She had done the same when she first saw him—but Kyung was being a little extra. Kiera patted her on the back, snapping her out of it.
"This is my aunt, Kyung. Aunt, this is Eun-Sang—the friend I made on the plane. And this is Lee-Soo, the… the friend of the friend I met on the plane," Kiera said, clearly embarrassed.
Lee-Soo felt awkward. "So, Miss Kyung… did you actually invite your niece over to South Korea?" he asked politely.
Kyung, pleased he had finally spoken to her, smiled sheepishly and replied without thinking,
"Nah—I mean, she's here to see me, yes, but she's also here for... enquiry and reconciliation."
"Ouch!" Kiera pinched Kyung's hand.
Their doubts were finally confirmed—Kiera was here to see Jung-Sik.
"Well, I think you should hurry up and do your reconciliations and gather your information. Time waits for no one," Lee-Soo said, locking eyes with Kiera before walking away. Eun-Sang followed silently behind.
"Kiera, I think he knows who you are," Kyung muttered, still watching Lee-Soo's back.
"Can you stop that, Aunt? I'm sure you're older than him! And yes, of course he knows—thanks to my lovely aunt who couldn't keep her mouth shut!" Kiera snapped and stormed off.
"Wait! Hold on, Kiera! Let's go together!" Kyung shouted, chasing after her.
Back at the hotel, Kyung watched as Kiera flipped through various packaging designs for V-Beauty's new gel moisturizer.
"Tomorrow's the day," Kyung said gently.
"Stop saying that like I'm going to war. I'm good, honestly," Kiera replied, energetic as ever.
"Fine, fine. Your father's assistant will take you there. His name is Mr. Kim—and he's handsome too. Though… not as handsome as Lee-Soo," Kyung said with a wide smile.
"Hmm… sounds like someone has a crush on Mr. Kim!" Kiera teased, laughing. Kyung blushed and threw a pillow at her.
Ring! Ring! Ring! Kiera's phone rang. She didn't need to check the caller ID—she knew who it was.
"Hi, sweetie. How's Korea?" Jack's voice came through.
"Jack! Who gave you the right to call me that?" Kiera joked, and they both laughed.
"Where's Mum?" she asked.
"I'm here, sweetie! Ignore Jack!" Carolyn's voice yelled from the background as she snatched the phone. Jack pouted like a child.
"How's Korea? Kyung sent me a picture of you at N Tower. You looked really happy," Carolyn said, her voice slightly shaky.
"Oh, Mum, don't cry. I've always been happy—with you, Jack, Aunt Cara, Mira, Kyung, and V.B. You all just like to overthink my life."
"That's right, sweetie!" Jack shouted from the background, making them all laugh.
"I'm okay, Mum. I'll see him tomorrow. By the way, I sent you three packaging samples I selected from over twenty. Could you help me pick one?"
"Ugh! How do you find happiness in all this work?" Carolyn groaned. "Fine, fine—I'll check them. But focus on what you're there for. Goodnight!"
"She probably wants to get intimate with Jack," Kiera whispered to Kyung after the call ended.
"Ah! Stop it. You're being disgusting," Kyung replied, laughing.
The next morning, Kiera woke up at 6:00 a.m., said her prayers, and was soon met with a call from an unknown number.
"Good morning, Madam Kiera. Your father has requested to see you. I understand there is conflict, but… his condition is worsening," Mr. Kim said gently.
Kiera's heart pounded. Her hands shook. Still, she steadied her voice.
"Okay, I'll be there," she said and hung up.
"Are you okay?" Kyung asked, concern written all over her face.
"Yeah," Kiera replied, hiding her emotions as she headed to the bathroom.
At Emerald Hospital, Kiera called the unknown number again.
"Are you here, Madam?" Mr. Kim asked.
"Yeah."
"Okay, come to the VIP ward, Room 302," he instructed.
She didn't reply—just ended the call and made her way there. In front of the door, she paused, gathered herself, and pushed it open.
Inside, a middle-aged man lay asleep in the hospital bed, dressed in a patient's gown.
"You're here. He's been waiting for you, but he fell asleep. Do you mind—"
"I'll stay until he wakes up," Kiera said, cutting Mr. Kim off as she sat on the sofa near Jung-Sik's bed. Mr. Kim nodded and excused himself.
Kiera stared at her father and the medical equipment attached to him. Tears slipped down her cheeks.
"You'll be fine," she whispered, then rested her head back.
Outside the room, Mr. Kim spotted Lee-Soo approaching. He knew why he was here, but he had to stop him.
"Young Master, you can't go in now."
Lee-Soo's heart sank. "What do you mean? Tell me he's okay!"
Mr. Kim blinked, confused. Did I sound like he died? he wondered.
"No, no—he's fine. But his daughter, Jung-Ha, is in there. I'm sure you know… she's the one he denied."
"Jung-Ha?" Lee-Soo blinked. "Is she… Kiera?"
"Yes. That's her American name. So, please leave," Mr. Kim said firmly and walked away.
Lee-Soo stood frozen. Naega wae geu salam-eul bogo sip-eo?
Why do I want to see her?
He shook the feeling off and left.
In Room 302, Kiera continued watching her father. He was pale but still handsome. She imagined what life would've been like with him around.
An hour passed. He still hadn't woken up. Hungry from skipping breakfast, Kiera reached for her phone to call Mr. Kim.
Just then, the door swung open.
A beautiful woman around Carolyn's age entered, followed by a boy about Kiera's age and a younger girl.
"Nuguseyo?" the woman asked. Kiera stared, not understanding.
"Ah! Eomma, nae saeng-gag-en geu salam migug-in-in geos gat-a. [Mom, I think she's American.] Say hi!" the girl said, giggling.
Ji-Won smiled and turned to Kiera.
"Hello. What is your relationship with my—wait… are you Jung-Ha?"
Kiera stood up, eyes narrowed. "Yes, I am. And who are you people? You barged in like a bunch of bananas with so much confidence. I think you're the ones who need to explain."
The boy smiled at her, and thought to himself, 'She's beautiful, but if she really is Kiera, then she's dead meat'. He walked over to the couch in the room and sat down, placing his legs on the table.
Kiera saw this but chose to ignore him.
"Oh, Kiera—the denied child," Ji-Won said with hatred in her voice.
"What did you just say?" Kiera asked in a low, dangerous tone, stepping closer to Ji-Won with a threatening gaze. It sent goosebumps down Ji-Won's arms and made her son spring to his feet.
"What do you think you're doing? Step away from my mother!" he yelled, but Kiera didn't move an inch.
"Are you going to tell me who you are, or do I have to kick you out?" she asked coldly, her eyes scanning all three of them.
"I am the wife of Jung-Sik, and these are my children—his accepted children," Ji-Won replied, trying to suppress the fear that crept in under Kiera's intense gaze. Her presence was far too intimidating.
Kiera felt a sharp pang of weakness inside, but she masked it with an emotionless expression as she stared at them. "I don't care who you are to him. He requested my presence, so the three of you need to leave," she said, her voice laced with anger.
The young girl started stepping back.
"Don't even think about it, Jung-Cha!" the boy yelled. "Who do you think you are, Kiera?"
Kiera didn't bother replying. Instead, she picked up her phone and dialed Mr. Kim again. Thankfully, he answered this time.
"I'm so sorry, Madam," he said quickly. "I was just about to call you—I saw your missed calls. What can I do for you?"
"There's a woman here named Ji-Won, with her two kids—Jung-Cha and a boy whose name I don't know. She claims to be Jung-Sik's wife, and I believe it, considering the daughter's surname matches his. But I need some alone time with him. So, send in the bodyguards and have them removed," Kiera said with authority.