Ji-a quickly went up to the rooftop. Her steps were fast, uneven, almost like she was running away from something. As soon as she reached the top, she screamed with all the anger inside her, "Kang Na-ri! You despicable witch!"
Her voice echoed through the quiet air, raw with pain. She was shaking. Her hands went straight into her coat pocket, pulling out a cigarette. She placed it between her lips and lit it with trembling fingers, breathing in deeply as if it could pull her together again. Her chest rose and fell with frustration. Hot tears spilled out of her eyes, rolling down her cheeks without warning.
Her grandfather had just humiliated her in front of everyone, and it wasn't even because of something she did wrong. It was Na-ri. She lied. She twisted everything. She wasn't sorry at all for yelling at her—no, she enjoyed it. Ji-a could tell. It was written all over her smug face. She enjoyed every single second of it like it was a show meant for her amusement.
Moments later, the rooftop door creaked open again. Her mother, Mi-na, stepped out. She walked over quietly and stood beside her daughter. Without a word, she reached into Ji-a's coat and pulled out another cigarette. Ji-a lit it for her. They both stood there in silence, blowing out smoke into the cold air.
"I don't know, Mom," Ji-a finally said. Her voice was hoarse. "Something about Na-ri isn't right. Didn't you see her eyes? She looked… hateful. Resentful. It felt like she knows something."
Mi-na took a long drag from her cigarette and exhaled slowly. "Do you think she knows about you and Tae Joon?"
Ji-a turned sharply, shocked. "Wait… you knew?"
Mi-na didn't even blink. "Of course I knew. I'm your mother, Ji-a. I know everything about you. I knew right from the first day you started sleeping with him."
Ji-a looked away, ashamed. "But… I didn't think so. I mean, Na-ri didn't show any hostility toward Tae Joon. She even accepted his proposal."
Mi-na raised an eyebrow.
Ji-a looked down at her feet. "She's been acting weird since this week started. Cold. Distant. Like she's ready to explode."
Mi-na placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Then be careful. She might already be planning something."
Meanwhile, at Na-ri's office…
Na-ri sat alone in her chair, legs crossed, a satisfied smirk tugging at her lips. She was still thinking about the look on Ji-a's face earlier—the shock, the tears, the disbelief. And Aunt Mi-na? That was a cherry on top. Watching her stutter and shrink in shame? Perfect.
One thing was clear to Na-ri: the best way to hurt Aunt Mi-na… was to hurt Ji-a. If Ji-a cried, Aunt Mi-na cried. If Ji-a suffered, Aunt Mi-na suffered too. They were too close. Too protective of each other. Their pain was tied together.
And tomorrow… tomorrow was the D-day.
Na-ri leaned back against her chair and smiled even wider. She had it all planned out. She was going to kill three birds with one stone. By tomorrow, Tae Joon, Ji-a, and Aunt Mi-na would all have something to cry about. Her revenge would be sweet. And public.
Back on the rooftop…
Ji-a wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "She's going to pay for this, Mom. I swear, I'll make Na-ri regret this."
Mi-na didn't say a word. She just stood beside her, quietly smoking.
"I know how to make her suffer," Ji-a whispered. "I'll make sure she loses everything. One by one."
Her voice was low but full of promise. The cigarette between her fingers burned slowly, just like her anger.
Meanwhile, elsewhere…
Jin Woo drove down a long road leading to a beautiful secluded estate. The tall black gates opened slowly as his car pulled in. The place looked like something out of a royal movie—large white buildings with clean glass windows, fountains, and wide lawns trimmed to perfection.
It was his father's house.
He stepped out of the car and was greeted by a maid. "Your father is waiting for you in the garden, sir."
Jin Woo walked through the hall and stepped into the open garden at the back. There was a table set under a tree, decorated with fresh flowers and silverware. His family was already seated—his father, his mother, and his older sister Han Jin Hee.
They were having lunch.
His father started first. "Any luck with the land?"
Jin Woo took his seat and answered, "I'm working on it. Chairman Kang isn't an easy man to convince."
Everyone went silent again. The only sounds were birds chirping in the distance and the clinking of cutlery.
Then his mother spoke. "I've decided to set you up on a blind date."
Jin Woo frowned.
"You're getting older, and it's time you got married," she continued.
Jin Hee laughed. "He's only twenty-eight, Mom. What's the rush?"
"It's not a rush," their mother said, cutting a piece of fruit. "I just want him to marry into a good family."
Jin Woo leaned back in his chair. "What if I was considering marrying into the Kang family?"
His father nodded. "Now that would be a solid move. They're powerful."
Jin Hee smiled. "It'd be perfect if you married Chairman Kang's granddaughter. The one who's also president of Kang Holdings. Her grandfather's the chairman, her great aunt is the president of CBS Daily, and she's the face of the company. She's basically a golden ticket."
Their mother raised her brow. "Why did you say 'if'?"
Jin Hee shrugged. "Because everyone knows Kang Na-ri has been with her high school sweetheart for more than eight years. They're probably already planning a wedding."
She turned to Jin Woo. "Why did you bring her up anyway?"
Jin Woo smiled faintly and looked out into the distance. "I was just curious… what would happen if I married her."
In truth, he already knew the answer.
It would be a great thing for him. He could use her, use the marriage, and finally get what he wanted—the land. He didn't care about her. Not her feelings, not her relationship. The only reason he agreed to her proposal was because of the land.
But something still didn't sit right with him.
Why was she offering everything on a silver platter? Why was she so eager to marry him?
At first, he rejected the idea. He thought maybe she wanted something from him too. But the more he thought about it, the more it seemed like he was getting all the benefits. The marriage didn't help her in any way.
She told him it was revenge—for her cheating boyfriend. But how? How was marrying a stranger revenge?
It didn't make sense.
Still… it wasn't like he cared. As long as he got what he wanted, the rest didn't matter.