Chapter 24
"And here I thought you guys were eating lunch. Turns out you're eating each other out instead."
He walked in, stopped by the side of the table, and sat down.
Yeonho was the one who broke the kiss first, eyes wide from getting caught.
"Oh, hey. " Yeonho wipes his lips.
"Well, I'm just giving him attention. I told him the truth that we slept together last night."
Yeonho said, fixing his hair and tucking it behind his ear.
Gyeongjae's lips twitched a little. Yeonho had just outright blurted those words out like it was nothing at all.
"I see. So, Mr. Han, are you mad?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
Yeonho looked at Jiseok, curious, waiting for an answer just like Gyeongjae.
"Not really. Yeonho had been with way more men before. He just stopped in the meantime because of our agreement."
'What? What did he mean by that?'
He didn't quite follow Jiseok's words, so he asked again straight out.
"So you let him run around and sleep with other men, and you're not bothered by it at all?"
"No." Jiseok said flatly.
So Jiseok was fine with Yeonho sleeping around, even though they were partners.
What exactly was their relationship? What was really between them?
He turned those words over in his head, then spoke again.
"You're telling me if I took Yeonho out for dinner and slept with him afterwards, you wouldn't get mad? Or jealous?"
Gyeongjae was trying to provoke Jiseok.
The old man was way too calm about Yeonho sleeping with whoever he wanted, so he looked over at Yeonho, tilting his head in amusement.
Right then, tension sparked sharp between them.
Sensing Gyeongjae's gaze on him, Yeonho tilted his head right back — the gesture soft, playful, almost flirty.
Gyeongjae thought it looked cute for a split second, but quickly shoved that ridiculous thought aside.
"I advise you to stop with those hopeless idea, young man. Sleeping with him once is enough."
In an instant, Jiseok's whole demeanor shifted, every bit of his dominance on display. His voice dropped deep and low, clear challenge directed straight at Gyeongjae.
Watching the cold, hard glint settle in Jiseok's eyes, Gyeongjae laughed.
"Please, calm down. I'm not trying to steal your precious mistress. I'm just asking, that's all."
Gyeongjae waved his hand like it was no big deal.
"That didn't sound like just asking to me."
"Well, it is though. Yeonho seemed curious too, right Yeonho?"
He turned to him for backup, but Yeonho only shrugged his shoulders, unbothered.
"Are you trying to start something here?"
Jiseok took a step forward.
"If that's what you think… why not."
Gyeongjae didn't back down an inch.
Jiseok walked right up to him, stopping so close they were almost chest to chest, staring straight into his eyes.
"I told you, sleeping with him once is enough."
Jiseok's tone dropped, turning darker and heavier now.
"And I told you I was just curious, old man."
Gyeongjae raised an eyebrow, meeting his gaze head-on without flinching.
The air around turned thick and suffocating.
Neither man backed down, both throwing words back and forth, each fighting to prove they held the upper hand.
Gyeongjae caught the uncomfortable, tense look on Yeonho's face, and it only annoyed him more. Of course he'd side with Han Jiseok obviously.
The tension kept climbing after that. Jiseok made no secret he claimed Yeonho as his own, while Gyeongjae kept poking and prodding, throwing subtle jabs every chance he got.
It went on until Yeonho finally cut through it all.
"You guys can stop now. If you're going to talk like this all day, please just leave."
Both men turned their full attention straight to him.
"And Mr. Han… you said you had work to get to. I'll just eat by myself. I've got things to take care of too. You know exactly what I'm referring to, right?"
Yeonho smiled, the look alone enough to tell Jiseok exactly what he meant without needing to say a word.
Gyeongjae narrowed his eyes, uneasy. He knew for a fact Yeonho was hiding something.
Jiseok glanced down on his wristwatch then fixed his tie.
"I'll take my leave then. I'll see you next time."
He leaned in and kissed Yeonho's lips, then turned his gaze straight to Gyeongjae.
'This old man… Such a show off.'
Gyeongjae scoffed inwardly. Flaunting it right in his face just to prove Yeonho belonged to him. It was enough to piss him off.
"And you too, Gyeongjae. You can leave too."
Gyeongjae shifted his eyes to Yeonho.
"Why me? We never finished our conversation from earlier."
"Don't question me. You're leaving too, same as Mr. Han. We can talk again next time."
Yeonho walked right over to him and wrapped his arms loosely around Gyeongjae arms.
Gyeongjae smirked; he glanced down at Yeonho, then over at Jiseok, who was already stepping closer, watching them closely.
He noticed the way Jiseok's jaw tightened hard. Obvious as day — he hated seeing Yeonho hanging all over him like that.
Gyeongjae couldn't help but feel pleased. Yeonho was being this open and touchy with him, right in front of Jiseok's face.
"Come on. Both of you, follow me."
Yeonho dragged both Gyeongjae and Jiseok out of the kitchen, all the way to the front door.
A moment later, both men were left standing outside the closed door.
"Goodbye to both of you. I'll be busy today and the rest of the week."
"Tell me if you need anything, dear. I'll give it to you." Jiseok said, his voice softening only when he spoke to him.
"Yes, Mr. Han. Now off you go — both of you."
The door clicked softly shut.
The second Yeonho was gone from sight, Gyeongjae and Jiseok turned to face each other. Hostility crackling sharp between them right away.
"I'd like a word with you, Mr. Woo."
The moment Gyeongjae heard his surname, he froze.
'How the hell does he know my surname?'
He almost let his shock show, but quickly smoothed his expression back to calm.
"Fine, Mr. Han. Let's go downstairs."
Whatever this conversation was about, he already knew it would circle right back to Yeonho.
They left the hallway and headed for the same restaurant where Gyeongjae had eaten dinner with Hana nigh before.
They took seats in a quiet, far corner — private, away from all noise and prying eyes.
"So, what is this about, Mr. Han? I already know it has everything to do with Yeonho."
He sat across from Jiseok and crossed his legs, relaxed but sharp.
"Stay away from Yeonho." Jiseok spoke plainly, no beating around the bush.
"And what if I refuse?" Gyeongjae shot back without hesitation.
"I'm giving you one chance, Mr. Woo. Stay out of his way. Stay out of his life. Or else."
That was a warning. No — this was a clear, unmistakeable threat. Jiseok was far more possessive over Yeonho than he'd ever guessed.
Honestly, it was almost funny. The old man had gone out of his way to call him here, just to have a private talk about Yeonho?
All the tension from earlier still hung heavy in the air, though Jiseok looked calmer now. Even so, Gyeongjae couldn't help but keep pushing his buttons.
"Is that a threat? Don't you think you're far too old to be tied to someone like Yeonho? You just said yourself you don't care if he messes around with other men — so why am I different? Are you scared he'll end up choosing me over you?"
He only meant it to provoke, no real hard feelings behind it. But Jiseok wasn't playing games at all. He was dead serious about Yeonho.
"I'm trying to be reasonable here, you see…"
Jiseok took a slow sip of tea, set the cup down gently, and continued.
"What's mine is mine. I only gave Yeonho enough freedom to do as he pleases for now. And if I recall correctly… Aren't you the man dating Choi Hana?"
Gyeongjae stiffened, caught completely off guard again. How does he know that? He'd only ever thought Jiseok was some random wealthy old man messing around with Yeonho.
'No… Everyone knows Hana has five men chasing after her.'
That had to be it. Since he was one of those five, it made sense Han Jiseok would have heard. Everyone in Korea knew about the five men fighting for Hana's attention.
But just when he thought he couldn't be more surprised, Jiseok said something that made his blood run cold.
"Choi Yeonho is nothing like what you think you know. I've followed every detail of that boy's life. And Choi Hana… she drugged you, didn't she?"
'What is he trying to say now?'
He wouldn't let Jiseok speak about Hana like that, not right to his face.
"That was just a small mistake —"
Jiseok cut him off instantly, sharp and unyielding.
"Choi Hana has been faking this sweet, innocent act her whole life. She's the same girl who pushed Choi Yeonho down a flight of stairs when they were just children."
Jiseok lifted his left hand, and one of the guards standing close by placed a thick envelope flat on the table between them.
Gyeongjae stared, confused.
Jiseok spoke like he'd known everything about the twins since the day they were born.
He glanced down at the envelope — curious, but wary of whatever it held.
"You see… Choi Hana isn't the kind angel everyone thinks she is, Mr. Woo."
Jiseok pulled a cigarette from the inner pocket of his suit. A guard stepped forward right away and lit it for him.
Gyeongjae watched closely. This man felt completely different now — nothing like the Jiseok he'd met earlier. His whole presence had shifted, cold and powerful, no masks left on.
"What exactly are you trying to prove here?"
"Open it." Jiseok nodded toward the envelope.
Gyeongjae hesitated for a second, then slowly pulled the flap open, curiosity winning out.
Inside were old photographs. Two small kids. Hana in a fancy dress, Yeonho in a matching little suit, standing on a wide grand staircase.
It looked like some kind of huge formal celebration. The photos were faded and worn, clearly genuine, kept safe for years.
"This is…"
"Their 12th birthday." Jiseok said calmly, blowing out a thin wisp of smoke.
Gyeongjae frowned. Everything about this felt strange and unsettling. He spread the photos out one by one across the table.
First they were just standing there, waving at someone off-camera. Then laughing together. Then — the next few images made his mind go blank.
There was Hana, shoving Yeonho hard right over the edge of the stairs. The next shot showed her already crying, hands covering her face like she was the one hurt.
Then the rest of the set. Yeonho falling all the way down to the hard floor below. His head hitting the ground. Blood spreading fast across the tiles. People rushing toward him.
Others crowding around Hana at the top of the steps.
Gyeongjae stared at the pictures, eyes fixed, unable to look away. He had no words to say. He couldn't even think straight. This couldn't be real… could it?
"How do I know these aren't faked?"
He said it just to convince himself, just to find some way to deny what he was seeing.
Jiseok chuckled before speaking.
"Flip them over. There's a photographer's name and signature stamped on the back. That family has served the Choi household for generations. Those records never get destroyed."
Gyeongjae turned the top photo over. Just like he said, it was there. He checked the rest. Every single one had the same mark, the same signature.
"I still don't get what you want from me." Gyeongjae leaned back in his chair, trying to read Jiseok's face for answers.
"It's simple. Stay away from Yeonho. Give all your time and attention to Hana instead. I don't want anyone getting close to Yeonho at all. Just keep acting like you always have — just like his own family did, like everyone else did. Forget he exists. Forget that 'bastard son' of the Choi family. Don't go looking for him, don't give him even a second of your thought. Some things are better left buried and forgotten."
Gyeongjae was speechless again.
How could he say that? Right in front of him was proof — clear, undeniable proof — of exactly what kind of person Hana really was. And now everything he thought he knew about her was crumbling apart.