I barged into Kang Mansion like a man on a mission—or a man sprinting toward his doom. My heart was thundering in my chest, my shoes echoing against the cold marble floor as I took the steps two at a time. If drama had a scent, it'd be lingering thick in the air that day.
Because right there, in the grand study with its ridiculously high ceiling and the smell of old books and bitter tea, Aunt Byeol stood smugly before Grandpa, holding what I immediately recognized as the contract—the fake marriage agreement.
"Grandpa!" I called out, breathless. "Please let me explain—"
But Grandpa didn't even glance at me.
"Let your aunt speak," he said, voice calm but razor-sharp. His eyes stayed fixed on Aunt Byeol, who looked like a villain about to reveal her final move.
I froze.
This was it. The moment everything came crashing down. I'd be disowned, humiliated, and stripped of my birthright. All because of a stupid plan that started with one fake kiss and ended with me catching real feelings.
Aunt Byeol's lips curled. She handed over the document like it was a winning lottery ticket. "This is proof that Yul's marriage to Bo-ra is a lie," she said triumphantly. "A contractual agreement, not a real relationship. This is deception, Father. Grounds to disqualify him as heir."
The silence that followed was worse than a screaming match. Grandpa's expression was unreadable, his hands resting on his cane as he looked over the document.
I gulped.
Aunt Byeol stepped back, her chin raised like she was already measuring curtains for the CEO's office.
And then I did something I rarely do—I panicked.
"Grandpa... it's true," I blurted out. "At first, the marriage was fake. I suggested it for the sake of the company, the inheritance... everything. I didn't want everything you and Dad built to fall into the wrong hands. So I asked Bo-ra to help me. We signed that contract."
Aunt Byeol smirked.
"But—" My voice cracked, so I clenched my fists. "Things changed. I changed. I fell for her, Grandpa. For real. She's not just a contract to me anymore. She's the only one who ever made me feel what love actually is. And if you want to disown me, fine. I'll accept it. But I want you to know that Bo-ra taught me how to love. And I'm happy when I'm with her. That's the truth."
I bowed my head, heart hammering like a kid caught stealing cookies. There it was—all of it, bare and exposed like laundry in a typhoon.
Then—
"So," Grandpa finally said, setting the contract down on the desk with a soft thud. "You love her."
I looked up, confused. He didn't sound angry. Not even disappointed. Just... amused?
"You... you're not mad?"
He chuckled. Chuckled! My whole life was hanging by a thread, and this man had the audacity to laugh?
"Oh, Yul. I knew about the contract before you even handed it to legal," he said casually.
My jaw nearly unhinged.
"W-What?!"
He leaned back, fingers tapping his cane like it was part of some grand performance. "Bo-ra and I had tea together two weeks before your sudden proposal. I asked her to accept any ridiculous scheme you threw at her."
I blinked. Once. Twice.
"You... what?"
Aunt Byeol's mouth was twitching like she'd just bitten into a lemon.
"Yul doesn't believe in love because of what happened between your parents," Grandpa continued. "I knew you'd never open your heart unless you were backed into a corner—and Bo-ra was the only one I trusted to be that corner."
"You knew all along?!"
"Of course. I even planted that contract in the drawer, knowing your aunt wouldn't resist going through my things."
Aunt Byeol gasped. "You set me up?!"
Grandpa shrugged. "Consider it a character test. You failed."
I stared at the old man like he'd grown a second head. I mean, who does that?
"Also," he added, turning to me with a sly grin, "I knew about Bo-ra's secret life as a professional gamer."
My eyebrows shot up.
"You did?!"
"She thought she was sneaky, entering online competitions under an alias. But she once logged in using our Wi-Fi. Rookie move."
I groaned. Bo-ra was so going to kill me for this.
"I never told her parents," Grandpa added with a wink. "In exchange, she owed me one favor. That favor was you."
Aunt Byeol's face turned a deep shade of betrayal. She let out a frustrated sound that was half growl, half scream, and stormed out of the room with a dramatic swish of her coat.
I turned to Grandpa, still speechless.
He stood slowly, walked toward me, and patted my shoulder.
"Love is messy, stupid, and rarely logical," he said. "Just like running a company. That's why you're perfect for the job."
I actually teared up.
"Grandpa..."
"Now go find Bo-ra," he said, pointing toward the door. "She's probably panicking somewhere thinking you're about to be disinherited."
I laughed through the lump in my throat.
Maybe love wasn't such a dumb idea after all.
To Be Continued...