Twenty Two

After escorting Mrs. Ahn inside, Mr. Ahn followed her into the restaurant. It resembled more of a grand banquet hall than a dining establishment. The chandeliers sparkled like a cascade of stars, and the luxurious decor spoke volumes about the elite clientele it served. Despite the exorbitant prices, the place was bustling with well-dressed patrons engaged in quiet conversations.

"Sir, do you have a reservation?" A sharply dressed host approached them with a courteous bow.

"Yes, it's under the name Ji Na," Mr. Ahn replied, straightening his tie.

"This way, please." He showed them the way as the both of them followed him. They took their seats and flipped through the meticulously crafted menu, discussing the options over the menu.

"Excuse me," Mr. Ahn called out to a waitress nearby, his deep voice cutting through the ambient murmurs. After she approached, he placed their order.

"Did you get your hair done today?" Mrs. Ahn teased, her eyes narrowing playfully.

"Of course, dear! I should look my best or else people would assume I'm your uncle." he quipped with a mischievous grin.

"Hey! If you can't make a proper joke, don't bother trying, you old man!" She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her cheeks tinged with a rosy blush at the unexpected compliment.

"I'll be back. Let me visit the washroom," she said, standing up with a dignified poise.

Inside the ladies' room, Mrs. Ahn washed her hands, the scent of floral soap lingering in the air. Her attention drifted to a group of women at the far sink. They were speaking in hushed but animated tones, their expressions a mix of astonishment and disbelief.

"Woah! You were there? Did you see her?" one of the women asked, her voice brimming with excitement.

"I couldn't because she was inside the crowd!" The lady whom the crowd nearly surrounded, replied with a dramatic gesture.

"Man! I never thought the thief in the neighborhood would be caught like this. You know he was doing this for a long time." another lady expressed in an astonished tone.

While wiping her hands, Mrs Ahn couldn't hold back her curiosity. She approached the group cautiously. "Excuse me," she began, her tone polite but edged with intrigue. "Are you talking about this neighborhood?" She was a little worried as well as curious as the head office of EcoFusion was located there.

"Yes!" one of the women responded eagerly. As the women were eager to share the knowledge they had, they pulled Mrs Ahn into the crowd, explaining while sugarcoating the whole incident.

"I even got a video of it. Do you wanna see it?" The lady who witnessed the incident, took out her phone while asking.

"O-okay." Although Mrs. Ahn had zero interest in the video, she couldn't refuse by seeing the expression the lady had on her face. Yet, as the video played, her heart skipped a beat as her eyes widened with shock. Wasn't it Jiang himself? She couldn't snatch the phone to double check.

"Could you send me the video?" she asked, her voice steady despite the whirlwind of thoughts in her mind. Though the footage was blurry and taken from a distance, there was no mistaking Jiang's figure. Was he involved? Was he hurt? Her concern deepened.

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Returning to the table, Mrs. Ahn's steps quickened, her phone clutched tightly in her hand. By now, their dishes were already served.

"What took you so long?" Her husband asked, furrowing his eyebrows in irritation of waiting for too long.

"Honey! Look what I've found!" She made a stunned look while rushing towards her husband. She took the chair next to Mr Ahn and sat down while holding the phone in front of him.

"Look! I heard about the incident in the washroom." She zoomed in on the video where Jiang could be noticed.

"Huh? What is this about? Is that Jiang?" Taking the phone from her hand, he asked confusingly.

"It happened this afternoon! They caught a thief who was running after snatching a girl's bag. But, do you know who the person was?" Mrs. Ahn's expression was a mix of urgency and disbelief.

"Who?" He asked, staring at the phone, trying to understand the situation showing on the phone.

"Han Ma Ri!"

"What? Ma Ri?" His tone shifted to incredulity.

"But, why would she steal someone's bag?" He asked, still couldn't believe his wife.

"Are you a stupid?" She facepalmed herself. "I'm talking about the person who caught the thief! Look there! They said she beat the man into a pulp before handing him to the police." she whispered conspiratorially, explaining what she heard in the washroom. Her expression was distressed as her eyes became restless in worries.

"This girl… is really something." He scoffed after hearing everything.

"Right?"

"Now that you brought up the matter, I must say, you were right about her. She really hangs out with that boy. I mean, Nam Ho Seok. And not recently. People have often seen them together since they were schoolers." He explained like a detective after discovering some truth.

"Really? Oh my god! Then…she's… Honey! What if they were right? What if she's really after our wealth? Don't you think she's a bit…too dangerous?

"You're overthinking," he replied, though his furrowed brows betrayed his own unease.

"I can't help it! I mean, my son is really vulnerable. I won't be able to forgive myself if something happens to him. He didn't even want to get married. I did everything because of him. But, do you think I pulled him into his misfortune?" She looked at her husband, her voice trembling with guilt.

"Don't jump to the conclusion. We have a lot of time. We'll figure something out." he assured her, placing a comforting hand on hers.

But her resolve was firm. "Then, let's go home quickly and talk with Jiman. I don't think leaving them together was a good idea in the beginning." She sighed regretfully.

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When they came home, both of them were surprised and touched. But, those thoughts about Ma Ri, Mrs. Ahn just couldn't shake them off. That's why when she hugged her son, it was not just because she was touched, but because she was regretting her decision to persuade Jiang and set him up with Ma Ri.

After the party, when Ma Ri and Ryu Gil had left, Mrs. Ahn changed into her nightgown and sat beside her husband. "What should we do?" she asked, her voice heavy with concern.

"Honestly, I don't think she's a bad girl either." he replied, his tone measured.

"Don't fall for that innocent face! Evil girl has the prettiest face, don't you know?" she warned him with a serious tone.

"Okay, okay. I won't fall for any other evil except you." He teased, trying to calm her.

"What?" She shouted while Mr. Ahn chuckled.

"Should we call Mrs. Han and say that Jiang has an affair with someone else and he can't marry their daughter?" She proposed, holding her husband's hand while looking at him.

"Reconsider before taking action. I need to quick-check some docs." He patted her hands, standing up and went towards the washroom with a heavy sigh as he didn't like the proposal.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Ahn stared into the distance, After a few minutes, she sighed and stood up. She was determined she'll talk it out with her son.

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[Present]

"You can't marry this girl. You get what I mean, right?" After she declared with that pitiful face of hers, Jiang was completely taken aback. Although he wanted to know the reason, he couldn't ask anything. He looked away, trying to hide his true feelings.

"But you were the one who suggested this arrangement. What about the promise you made to Mr. Han?" he asked, his brows furrowed.

"I know. And this is why I'm sorry. I should've checked her background before involving you." She sighed. Seeing her gloomy face, Jiang couldn't say anything anymore.

"Did she perhaps… do something wrong?" Jiang finally asked, sitting down properly, looking at his mother.

"She's not fit for you. She has history. And as for what she did today, you should know it better." she said, her voice edged with frustration.

Jiang took a long breath, nodding slowly as if he understood. Although he was confused whether his mother was mentioning her braveness she showed this afternoon or was there something else he didn't know?

"You…don't like her…yet…right?" She asked, throwing her pitiful gaze at him. Jiang understood what answer she wanted.

He smirked faintly, shaking his head a little. But as soon as he denied it, he felt as if his heart sank. He couldn't get the feelings he was having. It shouldn't be like that. He should be happy now that his mother finally freed him from the chain called marriage. Then, why does he feel empty deep inside? He silently looked for an answer.

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Ma Ri was inside her room. She kept banging on the door, screaming loudly.

"Mother! Please open the door! I'm sorry! Brother! I'm sure you're here! Open the door, please?" She begged. Her throat hurt as she kept shouting.