Ties

The next morning, Carrie was having breakfast when Ava and Leo stepped out of their rooms—fully dressed and ready for work, as if it had all been planned.

"You're dressed early," Carrie noted, raising an eyebrow.

Leo let out a frustrated sigh. "What do you think?"

"What happened?" she pressed.

"Na-eun supposedly lost ten billion dollars yesterday," Ava replied, exhaling sharply. "And now, thanks to that, everyone has to work twice as hard."

"Hm. Strange," Carrie mused, stirring her cocoa. "At least now we know she has other enemies."

"I wouldn't jump to conclusions," Ava countered. "She just got robbed." Then, grabbing Leo's arm, she added, "Let's go before we become bait for the day." With that, she spun on her heel, and the next thing Carrie heard was the sharp click of the front door closing behind them.

"They didn't even say goodbye," Carrie muttered, sighing. She took another sip of her cocoa and stretched. "I barely got any sleep last night."

"Neither did I," a voice chimed in from behind her.

Carrie flinched, startled. Turning, she saw Jae-wook already at the coffee machine, brewing his usual.

"Still not used to it?" he asked, smirking.

"How can I be?" Carrie huffed. "You always appear and disappear like some kind of ghost—it's frustrating."

Jae-wook chuckled. "Are you mad at me?" he teased.

Carrie rolled her eyes. "What kind of question is that?" Then, changing the subject, she leaned forward. "By the way, did you hear? Na-eun lost ten billion dollars yesterday."

"Explains why they're out so early," Jae-wook said casually, settling into the chair across from her, his mug in hand.

"Aren't you even a little bit concerned?" she asked, studying his calm expression.

"Give me a reason to be." He popped a slice of bread into the toaster.

"Well… Ava thinks it's just a robbery, but what if it wasn't? What if this was an enemy's doing?"

Jae-wook took a slow sip of his coffee. "Na-eun has plenty of enemies. It wouldn't be surprising if one of them finally made a move. But that's her problem, not ours."

Carrie hummed in thought before changing topics. "How about Ms. Kim? Have you spoken to her?"

"Nope," he answered flatly. "It's pointless. She's old enough to make her own decisions—whether they're right or wrong. I'm not about to dictate her life."

Carrie raised an eyebrow. "You've been surprisingly indifferent these days. Are you finally slacking off? Or have you actually started trusting people?"

"Hm. Interesting question," Jae-wook mused. "But not today. We always end up talking about me during our conversations. How about, for once, we talk about you over breakfast?" He slid a plate of toast in front of her.

Carrie smirked. "Thanks, but trust me, there's no 'juice' in my life. Which is why I try to create some by being adventurous." She sipped her cocoa, a playful glint in her eyes.

Jae-wook tilted his head slightly, watching her. "I'm sure you have a lot you want to say," he murmured. "But I won't force you. Take your time." Then, with a small, knowing smile, he reached out and ruffled her hair before heading back to his room.

Carrie blinked, momentarily frozen. Before she knew it, heat rushed to her face, painting her cheeks a deep cherry red.

She buried her face in her hands. "It's always the red flags," she muttered—but she was still smiling.

MEANWHILE

The air in the report team's office was thick with the usual morning lull—muffled typing, the occasional yawn, and the distant hum of the coffee machine. That is, until Mrs. Park made her entrance.

She strode in with the kind of presence that silenced a room before she even spoke. Her expression was as unreadable as ever, but something about the way she carried herself sent a ripple of unease through the team.

She came to a halt, inhaled deeply, and then exhaled as if preparing them for impact.

"Good morning, everyone," she announced.

A hesitant chorus of "Morning, Mrs. Park," followed.

"Right," she continued, cutting straight to business. "I have good news and bad news." She let the words hang for a beat. "As you're all aware, the company suffered a rather unfortunate... incident yesterday."

"Unfortunate?" John muttered under his breath. "We lost ten billion."

Mrs. Park ignored him. "Because of this, the boss has decided that we will be joining the advertisement team on a business trip for their upcoming program."

A stunned silence followed, broken only when Mr. Jack scoffed. "Wait—why us? That's their problem, not ours."

Mrs. Park raised a brow, unbothered. "You're welcome to go tell her that yourself. She's in her office right now. Go on."

Jack shut his mouth.

"So," John sighed, already exhausted, "what's the good news, then?"

Mrs. Park folded her arms. "We'll be having a team dinner after the program."

Ava blinked. "That's it?"

"For real, though," Leo groaned. "I was expecting something better—like a bonus or something."

Mrs. Park offered a tight, almost amused smile. "Well, let's try to make the best of the trip, shall we?" And with that, she turned on her heel and walked out, leaving the team in stunned frustration.

"This is insane," John muttered, rubbing his temples.

"More like annoying," Ava sighed, slumping into her chair.

The group groaned collectively, already dreading what lay ahead.

BACK HOME

"Why are you here?" Jae-wook's voice was cold, his posture rigid as he stared at the unwelcome guest.

Hari exhaled sharply before letting out a knowing smile. "How many times do I have to explain, or are you just slow-witted?" Her tone was laced with feigned patience. "Don't you think it's time we fix our broken ties? Why do we have to keep hating each other because of our parents?" she asked, her words dripping with manipulation.

Before Jae-wook could respond, another voice interrupted the tension.

"What's going on here?" Carrie's voice rang from the top of the stairs. She descended gracefully, her sharp gaze locking onto Hari. "And who exactly are you?"

Hari tilted her head, amusement flickering in her eyes. "Interesting. I wasn't expecting this. Are you married now, or just living with your girlfriend?" Her lips curled into a smirk. "Talk about values."

Jae-wook's patience snapped. "Hari, do yourself a favor and walk out of my house before I call the cops." His voice was firm, devoid of warmth.

"No need for that," Hari said smoothly, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Who calls the cops on their own cousin?"

Carrie's brows knitted together. "Cousin?" she echoed, her curiosity piqued.

Hari let out a small laugh. "Oh, he didn't tell you? Of course, he wouldn't. He has a couple of cousins, actually. I'm guessing he led you to believe he had none?" She exhaled dramatically. "He can be quite... secretive."

Carrie turned to Jae-wook, searching his face for answers. "So, why are you here all of a sudden?" she asked Hari, her tone wary.

"I just want to mend our broken bond," Hari said, her voice dripping with false sincerity. "But he refuses. Is that how much you hate your own family, Jae-wook?"

Jae-wook let out a dry chuckle, his lips curling into a humorless smile. "Do you take me for a fool? I know exactly why you're here. Your father's company is on the verge of bankruptcy. You're looking for a lifeline, a place to latch onto so you won't have to suffer the consequences." His voice turned razor-sharp. "Enough of your little performance. Get out of my house."

Hari's expression twisted into one of outrage. "How heartless can you be? You know what's happening to your family, yet you choose to turn your back on them?"

Jae-wook's gaze darkened. "You're mistaken, Hari. I don't consider any of you family. You never considered me one either." He reached for the telephone, his fingers poised to dial. "I'm calling the cops."

Hari's fury ignited like wildfire. "You will never be happy," she spat. "No matter how hard you try, you will always be alone. Just like your mother." With that final, venomous remark, she stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

A heavy silence settled in the room. Carrie stood frozen, her mind struggling to process what had just unfolded. For the first time, she found herself at a complete loss for words.

Jae-wook turned to her, his expression unreadable. "Don't try to investigate this or get involved," he warned, his voice eerily calm. "Because if you do, I can't promise I'll be nice about it."

With that, he walked away, leaving Carrie alone with the weight of unanswered questions.