Tae-hyung paused, then answered quietly,
"Just two. Me… and Yeonjun."
Back in the present,...
Hye-jin blinked after hearing the whole story, eyes wide.
"Ohhhh… so that's what happened?"
Sooyaa simply nodded with a soft hum, "Hmmmm."
The camera flashes snapped, reporters eager, Taehyung stood unfazed...
A reporter stepped forward, voice sharp with curiosity.
"Your grandfather was known as a business legend… how do you plan to carry forward his legacy?"
The reporter's question hung in the air, sharp and probing.
Taehyung took a breath, eyes steady and calm.
"My grandfather always said, 'With great power comes great responsibility.' it's not just about keeping what he built alive but making it better. I want to take what he taught us and move forward with new ideas, while still respecting the values he stood for. That's how I see carrying on his legacy."
Just as Yeonjun stepped forward to declare the press conference over, a voice slipped through the hum of the crowd soft, almost a whisper, but chillingly clear.
"Your father…"
It wasn't shouted. The reporter hadn't even raised a hand. But Taehyung heard it.
His sharp eyes snapped in the direction of the voice, locking onto a man standing near the back smirking, like he knew something no one else did. An unsettling, mischievous glint lingered in his gaze. There was something off about him.
And then, he vanished into the crowd.
Taehyung's body stiffened. He couldn't respond. His throat felt dry, words lost somewhere between memory and instinct.
Yeonjun noticed.
"The press conference is over. Thank you," Yeonjun said quickly, his voice firm but controlled as he gently took Taehyung by the arm and led him off the stage.
The reporters exchanged glances but didn't question it.
Back at the office, Yeonjun sat Taehyung down on the couch and handed him a cold bottle of water.
"Here you go" he said quietly.
Taehyung twisted the cap off and drank every last drop in one go, then crushed the plastic bottle in his hand without a word.
Yeonjun glanced at the tablet in his hand, a hint of relief in his voice. "Thank God no one caught it. The media hasn't picked up on it … your good looks somehow buried the topic."
But Taehyung wasn't listening to the news. His eyes, darker than usual, were locked on something else. The echo of that voice still lingered in his mind.
"Yeonjun," he said slowly, his tone low but commanding. "Find out who that man was. I want a full list of every reporter who attended today, their names, their media companies.find out everything, Do whatever it takes. I want him found."
Yeonjun nodded firmly. "I'll do my best to track him down."
As Yeonjun left the room, Taehyung let out a deep sigh and leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, eyes cast to the floor.
Then his gaze drifted to the TV screen.
The news played on, showing headlines from the press conference clean, controlled, carefully edited. No trace of the moment that shook him.
He leaned back, eyes narrowed, satisfied for now.
But his mind was already chasing shadows.
Meanwhile, at the office, Hye-jin stretched and glanced at the computer screen.. "So, the press conference ended. Cool," she said casually, scrolling through the live updates.
But Sooyaa's brows furrowed slightly. "Something about it doesn't feel… cool," she murmured, eyes still fixed on the screen.
Hye-jin rolled her eyes playfully. "My dear friend, don't overthink it. Everything went fine. Look at the chat everyone's just talking about Taehyung and Yeonjun's looks. Nothing suspicious. No drama. Smooth as ever."
Sooyaa didn't respond immediately, letting out a soft, skeptical hum. "Hmmmm…"
Hye-jin tapped her shoulder lightly. "Anyway, I've got a ton of work piling up. Let's catch up later?"
"Yeah, sure," Sooyaa replied with a nod, still slightly distracted.
Hye-jin waved and headed out.
Just then, a coworker approached Sooyaa's desk with the weekly reports in hand. With a sigh and a flicker of focus, Sooyaa shifted into work mode. Numbers, charts, and schedules began to fill her thoughts, pushing away that faint, unsettling feeling she couldn't quite place.
Kim Taehyung was resting on the couch in his office, his body still, eyes fixed on the ceiling. The soft light above flickered slightly, but he didn't blink. His thoughts drifted restlessly circling that one voice, that one word.
"Your father…"
His jaw clenched at the memory, but he remained still. Just… watching the ceiling.
Then suddenly, the door burst open.
Yeonjun ran in, footsteps hurried, almost panicked. He didn't even pause to close the door left it swinging half-shut behind him as he called out, "Taehyung!"
The desperation in his voice shattered the silence like glass.
Taehyung sat up in an instant, his sharp gaze locking on Yeonjun.
Yeonjun struggled to catch his breath, his voice tight as he finally spoke.
"That man..."
END OF CHAPTER.