Chapter 105 - The Rift

For the next few days, Jiwon and Mirae saw very little of each other. Both of them were not on talking terms. Jiwon was struggling to find the words to confess his feelings to her but Mirae remained distant from him. His heart ached to talk to her, touch her and embrace her. But he could find the courage to do so.

I'm turning into a high school kid, he thought warily.

Mirae, on the other hand, struggled with her own feelings. She waited for Jiwon to tell her what their relationship meant to him. She wanted him to confess all his secrets to her and assure her that he truly cares for her. But she, too, lacked the courage to confront him. 

Most importantly, she wanted the truth about her parents. She was scared to ask him. What if she were mistaken? What if the insurance company was mistaken? These thoughts revolved around her head. She must find out the truth somehow.

There was no other way. She had to use her last resort.

A week into their fight, Jiwon received news from his boss.

"Jiwon," his boss had said. "One of our hotel branches need an extra singer for their event. I have recommended you for it."

"Where is it sir?" Jiwon asked.

"The hotel is in Jeju Island," his boss replied.

"Jeju Island?" Jiwon frowned. "Sir, I can't go there. My wife is pregnant and she needs to be taken care of. I can't leave her alone."

"I understand, Jiwon," his boss said. "I didn't want to send you at a time like this. But the event is really important and you are our best singer. Besides, it's only for two nights. Why don't you take your wife too? I'm sure she will love it."

Jiwon's eyes lit up. This might not be a bad idea, he thought. They had not been on speaking terms ever since their fight. Maybe this trip will give him the chance to get closer to her and reveal his feelings for her. 

"I'll think about is sir," he replied, bowing down slightly.

"Thank you Jiwon," his boss said gratefully before dismissing him.

Exiting the office, Jiwon felt exhilarated. Mirae would be very happy, he thought. Ever since he stood her up on their promised date, they did not get a chance to go on a proper date. They did not take any trips together. Remembering all the missed opportunities, Jiwon cursed himself. Why did he chase that guy that day? Why couldn't he take Mirae out more? He should have insisted on another date instead of cowering away.

"I'll make it up to her," he promised himself.

….

That night, Jiwon entered the house, feeling excited. Mirae was sitting in front of her laptop, typing away furiously. Remembering the last time he interrupter her resulted in a fight, he nervously waited for her to finish.

Mirae dimly noted that he had been fidgeting around her for a while but her attention was on the task in hand. Finally, she looked up.

"You want to say something?" she asked warily.

"I'll be going on a two night trip to one of our hotel branches in Jeju Island," he informed her. "And they asked me-"

"I'll stay with my friend then," she told him and returned to her work. She did not even let him finish.

"They asked me to take you along," he said coolly. "You too can enjoy-"

"I don't want to go," she said, not looking up. "You should go ahead and enjoy."

Jiwon was aghast at her indifference. But her cold shoulder reminded him of how he used to be indifferent to her feelings. It bothered him to see her giving him the same treatment.

Did I hurt her like this every time? He realized. 

Jiwon did not say anything and left her to her work. As soon as she heard the bathroom door slam, Mirae leaned back in disappointment.

Truthfully, she was eager to go with him. It would have been their first trip as a couple and maybe they could have patched up. But it was necessary for her to find the truth behind her parents' death. She knew Jiwon would never reveal it and she must find it out herself.

With Jiwon gone for two days, she can have the freedom to investigate on her own. With her excellent hacking skills, she can fish out the secrets herself. Even if Grandpa Kwon paid millions to keep the cause of deaths of Jung Taewon and Sung Sohee a secret, Mirae had her own ways to find out without even lifting a finger.

Only problem was Jiwon's scrutiny. Even if he gave up his inheritance, she had an inkling that he still had his contacts in the underworld who were keeping an eye on them, making sure that Mirae never figured out the truth. 

She had noticed them around her a few times. Even though she acted oblivious, she knew they were following her, observing her every move. At first, she thought they were simply following Jiwon to keep him safe. However, they seemed to be following only her and not him. They were also surprisingly absent whenever she was alone with Jiwon.

Jiwon's trip was the perfect opportunity for her to dive into the details of her parents' death. All she had to do was enter Hann Constructions. It was important for her to hack into their network and get access to Kwon Jinhyung's files. All she had to do was get rid of those pesky shadows following her.

She glanced at the bedroom. Jiwon had just returned from the shower and was wiping his head. He caught her staring at him. 

Mirae quickly looked away, pretending to focus on her work. Jiwon narrowed his eyes and strode over to her. He shut her laptop's lid.

"Hey!" she protested but he did not pay any heed to her. 

"Come to bed," he said. "You're ruining your health. Keep this up and you'll harm our baby too."

"I'm fine," she snapped standing up to go but he pulled her back. 

Staring at her straight in the eye, he said, "Jung Mirae. I don't know if it's your hormones affecting your behavior or your inner thoughts. All I know is this. I don't like it. I don't like not talking to you. I don't like it when you're sad or upset. I don't like the silence between us. I hate it. And it's not because of the fact that you're pregnant with my child. I just like to listen to my wife's cheery voice."

These words were the closest way he could describe his feelings. It was the only way he could convey them. 

Mirae stood there, listening to his true feelings. Her heart sank with every word of his. She wanted to hug him, kiss him right there. But she held herself back, unable to express her own turmoil.

"I'm going to bed," she said, tearing her eyes away from his. "I'll try not to trouble you with useless thoughts about my health."

With great difficulty and a pained heart, she turned away, her eyes glistening with tears. She got into bed and pulled the blanket above her head.

Jiwon stood there, paralyzed with shock. Mirae did not even acknowledge his feelings. Do they even understand each other anymore? Slowly, he shuffled towards the bed, settling beside her. Earlier, Mirae used to snuggle up to him, much to his mild annoyance. But now he missed her touch.

He glanced back. Her back was turned towards him. Both the husband and wife, stared at the walls opposite to them, unable to sleep all night long.

….

"You think she took the bait?" Teppei asked.

He was playing a game of chess with Ziko at the latter's mansion.

"She will," Ziko replied as he checked Teppei's king. "Kwon Jinhyung had paid the insurance company not to reveal the information about Jung Taewon's policy to his daughter. All I had to do was pay the double amount."

"And slowly, you will lure her towards you," Teppei concluded as he removed Ziko's Bishop with his Queen. "What will you do after that?"

"Oh I'm going to kill that baby inside her first," he gave a sinister smirk as he checkmated Teppei with his own Queen. "And then thoroughly enjoy her."