Hyun Woo's gaze shifted briefly toward the window, as though he could already see Ji Eun somewhere beyond it, moving forward with unshaken resolve.
"She didn't act out tonight because she was constrained," he said.
"She acted because she chose to."
A faint pause.
"And because she knew she could."
Song Minkyu's eyes narrowed slightly.
"You're saying this is our fault."
"No," Hyun Woo corrected.
"I'm saying this is who she is."
Silence.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
Hyun Woo took another step closer.
His voice lowered slightly, not softer, but more focused.
"You think releasing her from this engagement gives her freedom," he said.
"It doesn't."
His eyes darkened just a fraction.
"It gives her a battlefield with no boundaries."
Kate's breath caught slightly.
Because she understood.
Ji Eun without limits…
Was far more dangerous than Ji Eun restrained.
"And yet," Song Minkyu said firmly, "we will not cage our daughter for the sake of a marriage."
This time...
There was no negotiation in his tone.
Hyun Woo held his gaze.
Unyielding.
Then...
A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips.
Not mocking.
Not dismissive.
But… certain.
"I never intended to cage her," he said.
His voice dropped.
Calm.
Steady.
"And I am not stepping back."
The room went still.
Kate's eyes widened slightly.
"Mister Park..."
But he continued.
Untouched.
"As I said before," he added,
"She will come back."
Song Minkyu's expression hardened.
"That will be her choice," he said sharply.
"Yes," Hyun Woo agreed.
Without hesitation.
Without contradiction.
But the next words...
Shifted everything.
"I'm just making sure," he added quietly,
"That when she does..."
A pause.
His gaze sharpened just slightly.
"There is nowhere else she would rather be."
Silence followed.
A long one.
Because now, they understood. This was not a negotiation.
Not a proposal.
Not even an arrangement anymore.
This was pursuit.
And Park Hyun Woo...
Had no intention of losing.
As Hyun Woo turned to leave, Kate spoke once more.
Her voice softer.
But cautious.
"Be careful," she said.
"Ji Eun doesn't forgive easily."
He paused at the door.
Just briefly.
Then...
Without turning...
He replied:
"I'm not asking for her forgiveness."
A faint pause.
"I'm asking for something even more than that"
And with that...
He left.
Leaving behind two parents who had just realized something far more troubling than a broken engagement...
Their daughter had found someone who would not control her…
But would refuse to let her go.