Chapter 16: Cracks of Light
The cool breeze of the night whispered through the tall hedges as Min-Jun walked Seo-Ah to the edge of the estate. Neither of them said much after their quiet exchange in the garden. There was something oddly comforting about the silence — not empty, but full of understanding.
When they reached the estate gate, she turned to him. "You should go back before they start asking questions," she said gently, her voice low but steady.
Min-Jun nodded, eyes heavy with emotion. "Thank you... for coming tonight," he said. "Even if it was unexpected."
She gave a faint smile. "You needed someone who saw you, not just your name."
Their gazes held for a moment longer. Then, without needing another word, she turned and walked into the night. Min-Jun stood there, watching until her silhouette disappeared from view.
He didn't return to the dinner. Instead, he slipped back into his room, peeling off the stiffness of his suit and the expectations stitched into its seams. He stood by the window, staring at the estate grounds, the moonlight painting everything in silver.
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The early morning sun filtered through the tall windows of the guest room at the Lee estate, casting a soft golden hue across the floor. The silence was broken only by the distant chirping of birds and the muffled rustle of staff beginning their day downstairs.
Min-Jun stood near the window, already dressed in a crisp black shirt and slacks, his jacket draped neatly over the chair. He had barely slept, not because of discomfort — the room was luxurious — but because his mind had been restless.
Last night's conversation with Seo-Ah lingered in his thoughts like a scent that wouldn't fade. Her words had reached into the part of him he kept barricaded from the world — the part that remembered who he used to be before duty, before pressure, before the weight of expectations crushed every quiet dream he had ever dared to entertain.
He wasn't angry anymore. He was tired. Tired of pretending he didn't care. Tired of being distant because it was safer than being disappointed.
A soft knock came at the door, followed by a voice.
"Mr. Lee, your car is ready."
Min-Jun didn't reply right away. He gave one last glance around the room, then picked up his jacket. Without another word, he walked out, his footsteps echoing softly against the marble hallway. He didn't say goodbye. He didn't need to.
The estate was behind him now — at least for the moment.
As the car pulled away, Min-Jun leaned back against the leather seat and finally allowed himself a slow breath. Outside, the city was just beginning to wake. And somewhere out there, Seo-Ah was beginning her day too.
He wasn't sure what came next. But one thing was certain: the night was over — and a new day had begun.
Seo-Ah
The alarm buzzed faintly from the nightstand, and Seo-Ah reached for it blindly, her arm flopping over the edge of the bed. She groaned softly, pulling the blanket over her head before remembering she couldn't afford to be late — not today.
She sat up slowly, brushing her hair from her face. The events of the night before came back to her in scattered flashes: Min-Jun's eyes, the weight of his silence, the sharpness of his words when he'd spoken of his father… and then the quiet — that rare, raw quiet when he'd let his guard down and spoken like a man, not an empire.
He hadn't needed to say more. She had seen it in the way his shoulders slumped slightly when he thought she wasn't watching. The way his voice wavered — just for a second — when he spoke of building something of his own.
Seo-Ah stood and moved to the window, hugging her arms around herself. The city buzzed to life below, but her thoughts were still with him — wherever he was. It scared her, how easily her mind went to him now. But it also gave her something to hold onto.
Today would be another long day at Lee Financial Corporation. And she'd see him again. Maybe only in passing, maybe not at all. But that was enough. Because something had shifted.
He was no longer just the cold CEO. He was a man caught between duty and desire. And maybe — just maybe — he was starting to let her in.
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Min-Jun
He entered his private office in his own towering building downtown — Lee Global Holdings, his pride, his rebellion, his independence. The staff greeted him with practiced respect, but he only gave a short nod before shutting the heavy glass door behind him.
The office was silent, pristine. Floor-to-ceiling windows revealed the sprawl of the city he'd claimed by force and vision. It was everything his father had ever wanted for him — and everything he'd taken on his own terms.
But even as he sat behind the desk, fingers steepled in thought, he wasn't focused on the company's next merger or the rising stock index.
He was thinking about Seo-Ah.
Her eyes had reflected something that both challenged and comforted him. She didn't expect him to be perfect. She didn't care for the suits, the wealth, the legacy. She saw through it — and that terrified him more than any boardroom war.
Still, it was morning now. He was CEO again. Controlled. Unbothered. Cold. Focused.
Unto to the next. He said to his assistant.
His assistant went through his schedule for the day and it was time for business.
He didn't become the most successful bachelor in the country and a multi-billionaire by just dwelling and immersing himself in a traumatizing past or focusing his time on people who doesn't worth his time.
He has an empire to lead and build so he will stick to that, no distractions allowed or entertained
But under the surface, a storm was beginning. And Seo-Ah had unknowingly lit the first spark.
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Please if you enjoy this novel, certainly you will enjoy my other novel **Finding me (when no one could)**
It is interesting and lovely.
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