.
The meeting finally adjourned, and no one dared to object to Kim Eun-ji taking over her father's position. Fear silenced any dissent.
The once-crowded room, full of suits and grim faces, was now empty, leaving only a father and his daughter behind.
Kim Do-yun sat next to his daughter, a surge of pride welling up inside him. His little girl was now seated at the highest position in the company.
Despite his pride, anxiety gnawed at him, and he nervously fiddled with the rings on his hand. His relationship with Eun-ji had always been strained, and at times, it felt like she merely tolerated his presence. "How was your trip?"
It had been at least four years since Eun-ji had last set foot in the company. After deciding to study in London, she hadn't returned home, choosing instead to live in isolation, far from her family, in a foreign country. She had found solace in the feeling of not belonging—a strange sense of freedom.
Feeling a bit bored, she replied, her exhaustion from the long journey evident in her tone. "As expected. But I need to change."
Her father nodded awkwardly, remembering the few but significant conditions Eun-ji had set before agreeing to take over the company:
First: She would live in her own home, with no surprise visits from her parents.
Second: She would not tolerate interference in her personal life.
Third: She would not work under her father.
These three simple demands carried enormous weight. She had even pushed him to retire permanently before agreeing to take over.
"We've prepared an apartment for you," he said cautiously. "Since you didn't want to live with us anymore… the renovation should be done this week."
"All good."
Eun-ji stood and walked slowly toward the large window that overlooked the city's skyline. The view from the room encompassed the bustling city center. She took a deep breath, feeling like she was finally stretching her wings, albeit still within the confines of a cage.
It wasn't freedom—not yet—but it was enough to give her some space to breathe.
Her father's voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Did you hear what your brother did?"
She wasn't particularly interested in whatever idiocy her brother had gotten himself into, though she knew she'd eventually be dragged into fixing his mess. Still, it didn't matter to her.
"No, and I don't really care."
Do-yun sighed in frustration. His daughter hadn't changed at all. "You can't keep going on like this..."
Eun-ji's detached demeanor had always been her defining trait, and she had no intention of changing that. The world around her lacked excitement, everything seemed dull and uninspiring.
She turned away from the window, grabbed her suitcase, and prepared to leave.
Briefly, she paused to place a hand on her father's shoulder, a rare gesture of reassurance. "I'm just holding up my end of the deal."
Do-yun rose from his seat and made his way toward the door. "Your mother is waiting for you at home… You start work tomorrow."
"Okay."
The door finally opened, and the girl left without even looking back.
It wasn't the old Kim's dream reunion, but what could he do?
Kim Eun-ji knew that with her apartment under renovation, she had only two options: go to her parents' house or stay in a hotel.
She opted for the second option.
Do-yun's secretary had already been informed of the need to find a driver for young Kim.
Within minutes of leaving the meeting room, someone was already waiting for her outside the company building, ready to take her wherever she needed.
The driver was a temporary solution until she chose someone personally. In the meantime, one of the Kim family's personal drivers had been assigned to work exclusively for her.
As soon as Eun-ji arrived at the entrance, she saw the car waiting for her and walked towards it without hesitation. Her luggage was swiftly stored, and she was soon seated comfortably inside.
The driver's hands were shaking, a detail that didn't escape Eun-ji's notice. She watched him for a few moments. Whatever... It wasn't like she wasn't used to people being afraid of her.
"Take me to the nearest hotel," she instructed, her voice calm but commanding.
The man nodded obediently, and the car began to move.
Eun-ji leaned back in her seat, exhausted. She urgently needed to rest.
The ride wouldn't take more than ten minutes. The closest hotel belonged to her family, after all.
The Kim family had ventured into multiple industries, and for Do-yun, the philosophy was simple: "If people need a roof over their heads, there's money to be made."
Hotels, restaurants, bars, houses, apartments, commercial buildings...
"Kim's" specialized in the real estate market, and Eun-ji was now tasked with managing it. Not the entire family empire, just this one company.
It wasn't like Eun-ji was stepping in as some kind of savior. If the company collapsed, it wouldn't be the end of the world for her.
But it would be extremely shameful and humiliating.
And even if she failed miserably, she would always have a place to work. The Kim family owned everything, and even if this company went bankrupt, the family wouldn't suffer any serious financial damage.
But "Kim's" was where it had all begun for Do-yun, and his pride was tied to it. That's what made the situation so painful for him.
Whatever. The old man looked ready to do something reckless.
And so was Eun-ji.
In less than half an hour, she was soaking in the bathtub of her hotel room, fighting to stay awake.
A knock on the door interrupted her peace. She rubbed her eyes and dragged herself out of the bathroom, leaving a trail of water behind.
She hastily wrapped herself in a robe and went to answer the door, assuming it was the room service she had ordered. But when she opened the door, she was met with a woman carrying a designer handbag and wearing a diamond necklace, her expression less than friendly. Eun-ji sighed tiredly.
Kim Ha-yun had been married to Kim Do-yun for over 25 years and had stood by his side through every imaginable situation.
She had married him in her twenties.
Eun-ji's birth had been like a great gift in their lives; finally, Kim Ha-yun had the pleasure of giving birth to her own daughter. But why did everything seem so complicated now? She often found herself wondering if Eun-ji could ever return to the sweet innocence she had when she was born.
"Hi, Mom."
Without waiting for an invitation, Ha-yun entered the room. It irritated her that her daughter had returned without stopping by to see her.
Looking around the room, she sighed. Ha-yun knew how methodical Eun-ji was with organization, and seeing the disarray in her room showed just how exhausted her daughter was. Her anger dissolved in moments.
"I missed you."
Eun-ji smiled gently and sat on the edge of the bed. "I'm just tired."
Ha-yun gave a small, rueful smile. "Feeling ready to get started?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
Still, Ha-yun didn't want her daughter to waver. She felt a slight pang of despair knowing that Eun-ji would now have to clean up Dong-hae's mess. "No, you must stand your ground... It's just that your father fears you'll be nervous..."
In other words: he doesn't trust you to handle the company.
Eun-ji chuckled lightly, leaning back briefly. "He doesn't seem to know me very well."
"You know, he just wants you to be okay…"
Eun-ji was tired of this conversation. She thought sarcastically, You want my well-being? Fine... I'll pretend I believe it.
Her parents wanted many things, and her well-being might really be somewhere on their list, but she doubted it was near the top. She felt tired and bored.
Ha-yun noticed her daughter's mood and felt a wave of shame for bothering her.
"Alright, as you wish… What's going to happen to Dong-hae?"
Ha-yun was surprised her daughter showed any interest in her brother, and a small flicker of happiness sparked in her heart.
Of course, her children weren't perfect; Dong-hae had more flaws than anyone. But they were still her beloved children.
Thinking about Dong-hae was painful. He had shamelessly betrayed his family for a few bucks. How could she forgive him so easily?
"Your father has already removed him from the will, and it looks like there will be a criminal investigation."
"And where is he now?"
"Who knows? He hasn't contacted us since the scandal broke."
"I see."
The embezzlement scandal was just the tip of the iceberg. Dong-hae had been implicated in prostitution and drug trafficking cases. Really troubling.
The police had been investigating him for a while.
Knocks at the door interrupted the conversation as room service arrived with Eun-ji's dinner. Ha-yun realized it was time to leave. While the young waiter set the dishes, she gave her daughter a loving hug before saying goodbye.