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SERIES: An Impure Reunion
CHAPTER: An Impure Reunion Chapter 19
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19.
“Oppa, from now on, don't say things like Seol-ah is your daughter in front of him.”
“……”
“The more you say things like that, the worse the situation gets.”
When Kang Jae had said that at Grace last time, it might have helped in that moment.
But the repercussions were also huge.
It seemed Taejun had completely misunderstood the situation.
She was partly at fault for not correcting it, but Jian decided she couldn't let it go on any longer.
“This is a problem between me and him.”
“……”
“You know that, Oppa.”
As soon as Jian finished speaking, the corner of Kang Jae's mouth twitched slightly.
The moment his mouth twitched was when he heard her draw a line, saying it was between her and “him.”
“I'll talk to him and sort it out myself.”
Come to think of it, Jian had never given Kang Jae an opening.
There was no way Kang Jae didn't know that.
Even in the midst of her own suffering, Taejun had never once left her heart.
It was the same even after she had run away from that house on her own two feet.
“Let me protect you and Kangji.”
The way Jian looked at him was as family, nothing more, nothing less.
He was the only one struggling so desperately to cross that line.
“Let me help, so I can repay you both for everything you've done for me.”
Jian was anxious.
The problem was the fear that he might bring some harm to Kangji and Kang Jae.
The extent of the power Taejun could wield seemed to far exceed Jian's expectations.
In this unpredictable situation, there was one misunderstanding of Taejun's that she had to correct.
The one where he mistakenly believed Kang Jae was Seol-ah's biological father.
“So, Oppa…”
“Jian!”
Suddenly, Kangji ran over, cutting Jian off.
Seeing Kangji's pale face, Jian frowned.
“What's wrong?”
“This, did you know this article was coming out?”
A moment later, after checking the phone Kangji held out, Jian finally understood why she was so upset.
On Kangji's phone was an article about the Geonan Group President and his wife, Jian and Taejun.
It wasn't just an article; there was also a photo of Jian and Taejun.
“No, why is this…”
And in that photo, Seol-ah was there too, held in Taejun's arms.
Jian closed her eyes and stroked the hair of the softly breathing Seol-ah.
She hadn't been able to sleep, her lips moving restlessly, but it seemed she had finally fallen asleep from exhaustion.
Jian pressed her lips to the child's forehead and smiled faintly.
“Sleep well, Seol-ah.”
Taking one last look at the peacefully sleeping Seol-ah, Jian left the child's room.
After the door closed, Jian finally let out a deep sigh and buried her face in her hands.
A few hours ago, after seeing the article Kangji had shown her, Jian had rushed straight to Seol-ah's kindergarten.
Thankfully, no one was there when she arrived.
However, when she came out with Seol-ah, a few reporters were waiting in front of the kindergarten.
They recognized Jian and immediately approached her.
Jian quickly covered Seol-ah's face and picked her up.
Then she focused on making sure Seol-ah's face wasn't captured in their photos.
A reporter blocked Jian's path and spoke.
‘Ms. Heo Jian? There are rumors that the child is your illegitimate child. Is that true?’
Following that reporter's lead, the others also hurled questions at her.
Jian hurriedly covered Seol-ah's ears as well, trying to prevent the child from hearing them.
After rushing away, she got into the car driven by Driver Park.
The article she had seen on Kangji's phone before going to pick up Seol-ah was about none other than Jian and Seol-ah.
Specifically, the main topic was that Seol-ah was a child Jian had given birth to outside her marriage and brought home.
The reporter's wording was clearly defending Taejun and criticizing Jian and Seol-ah, so the comments section was in a heated debate over the article.
Glancing at the comments, Jian felt her insides churn.
She could accept the criticism directed at her, but she could also occasionally see baseless speculation and criticism aimed at Seol-ah.
The moment she saw that, Jian couldn't just stand by.
That was why she had rushed to get Seol-ah from the kindergarten.
‘Mommy, what’s wrong?’
Seol-ah seemed very bewildered by the sudden situation.
Seeing the child frozen in place, Jian barely suppressed her own aching heart and spent the last few hours trying to soothe her.
Fortunately, Seol-ah calmed down and quickly fell asleep.
Jian lifted her face from her hands and muttered.
“Who on earth could it be?”
The person who instigated such a photo, such an article.
Who could that person be?
She didn't know the full story, but she could narrow down the list of people who would give such an order to a few.
But it was difficult to decide for certain who it was.
“Mr. Taejun must have taken it down.”
Fortunately, the article was quickly taken down from the portal sites.
It seemed Taejun had ordered it.
Glancing at her wristwatch, she realized it was time for Taejun to come home and started down the stairs.
Just as she rounded the corner and was about to step onto the stairs again, she felt a persistent gaze on her.
Discovering the owner of that gaze, Jian flinched, her body trembling slightly.
“You're home?”
Without answering Jian's question, Taejun was standing with his head leaned against the wall near the stairs, watching her.
Unsettled by his rather obsessive gaze and the silence, Jian quickly spoke.
“Today, thank you for blocking the article right away.”
“……”
“I'm so sorry for causing trouble. It seems like you're in a difficult situation, so I thought it would be best if Seol-ah and I left for a while…”
“Leave? To where?”
Just as she stepped onto the ground floor, Taejun cut her off.
“Heo Jian, just how much of a madman do you want me to become?”
Unable to understand his words, Jian could only blink.
And then, Taejun abruptly closed the distance.
He quickly trapped Jian against the wall, meeting her gaze.
Startled by his sudden action, Jian's eyes widened.
“What are you talking about?”
“Heo Jian, you overestimate me too much.”
“T-Taejun.”
“I'm not a very patient man, Jian.”
As he spat out the words, Taejun's eyes blazed with anger.
Watching him, Jian's mouth began to go dry.
Taejun's hand traced Jian's jawline as he spoke.
“That Lee Kang-jae's restaurant I told you not to go to, why did you go, Jian?”
At the mention of Kang Jae's name, Jian bit her upper lip.
It seemed that was the catalyst that had angered Taejun.
Jian quickly opened her mouth to tell him about the conversation she'd had with Kang Jae that afternoon.
“I didn't go to meet Kang Jae Oppa. That's also my friend's restaurant. I don't know what you're misunderstanding…”
“And why do you look so pale? What? are you going crazy because the kid was in an article?”
But Taejun seemed to have no intention of listening to Jian.
Saying what he wanted, Taejun's hand gently caressed Jian's face.
“Why? Are you afraid she'll get hurt by the rumors that she's the child Heo Jian had out of wedlock?”
But the emotion felt from that hand was not gentle.
Reading that emotion, Jian felt a chill run down her spine as he touched her.
Seeing Jian's trembling lips, Taejun scoffed.
“Nothing to worry about. Another article will be out soon.”
“What, do you mean…”
“Unlike that novel you people are writing, it'll say the girl in the photo is my child.”
Jian's eyes flew open.
“Not the illegitimate child that Heo Jian had with that bastard Lee Kang-jae.”
“Taejun! Seol-ah is not Kang Jae Oppa's child!”
Jian cried out hastily.
“You're misunderstanding. Seol-ah is…!”
Just as Jian was about to continue, Taejun placed a hand on the nape of her neck.
Taejun seemed to have half-lost his mind.
“Why are you worried now?”
“T-Taejun…”
“Are you afraid that tomorrow, those reporters will be swarming that bastard's restaurant instead of our house?”
He seemed to have no intention of properly hearing Jian's cries.
Taejun then began to apply pressure, as if to choke Jian.
“Just like how Heo Jian is so desperately fond of that child, I'm desperately fond of her too.”
“Ugh, heuk.”
“I'll show them. I'll make everyone in the world see me as a crazy doting father.”
Jian couldn't hear Taejun's words.
All her senses were focused on his hand, which was tightening around her neck.
The stronger his grip became, the more Jian struggled.
Even her consciousness seemed to be fading.
“And yet, Where is Heo Jian going?”
“T-Taejun.”
The force of Taejun's grip on Jian's neck pushed her further to the brink.
“What? Are you planning to go back to that bastard just like this?”
The more he tightened his grip, the more ragged Jian's breathing became, and the strength began to drain from her body.
Just as her vision was about to go black, he choked her to the very limit, then suddenly released his hand.
“Cough, cough, haak!”
Immediately after, Jian collapsed to the floor, letting out harsh coughs.
Just as her coughing began to subside and she was trying hard to catch her breath.
Suddenly, Jian's chin was once again in Taejun's grip.
“Jian, you said you were leaving.”
“Heup.”
“If you think I'd let you go easily, that's your delusion, Jian.”
Looking up, his eyes were like those of a beast about to tear its prey apart.
Before that beast, she, the prey, could do nothing to quell his anger.
Finally, he leaned his face in close.
“Open your mouth.”
“……”
“Why? isn't this the only thing that makes sense between you and me?”
Author: Donggeurami (Son Yoon-seo)
Publisher: Toonplus
Email: [email protected]
ISBN : 9791157738274
© Donggeurami (Son Yoon-seo), 2022
※ This e-book is published by <Toonplus> under an agreement with the copyright holder. Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution are prohibited. Violators may be subject to legal action.
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