Declaring her future plans, she strode forward, once again saying the least expected and shocking everyone.
Soon after, she spotted her car and waited for Ha-Min to open the door for her. As soon as they stepped inside, Ha-Min finally erupted like a maniac.
"Is this the show you wanted me to witness? That's it! You're officially grounded by the Old Master. OMFG! What did you even do? Does it make sense to you? I thought you wanted to come back and take back what is yours, but instead, you've created a big mess that can't even be cleaned up!" he ranted, his voice rising with each word.
Ha-Na calmly leaned back in her seat. She looked at Ha-Min, who seemed to get freakier by the second. "Relax, Ha-Min. You're overreacting. This is all part of the plan," she said with a knowing smile.
"Plan? Kissing Hyun-Jin and declaring war on your own family is a plan?" Ha-Min retorted, his voice incredulous.
"Absolutely," she replied, her tone light but firm.
Ha-Min's face flushed with frustration. "You've put yourself in the middle of a storm!"
Ha-Na turned to face him fully, her expression serious now. "Exactly. And sometimes, you need to create a storm to clear the air. The Wang family isn't just powerful; they're ruthless. By aligning myself with Hyun-Jin, I've positioned myself where I need to be. And by declaring my own venture, I've shown everyone that I'm not here to play by the old rules. This is a new game, and I'm setting the terms."
Ha-Min stared at her, his anger slowly giving way to understanding. "But what about the old master? I thought you wanted to rule Ilhwa Corporation. How can you do this without his support? How will he even support you if you openly go against him?"
Ha-Na's gaze softened slightly. "The old master will fume, sure. But he'll also see that I'm not the little girl who can be pushed around anymore. He can't make me leave the country overnight. And as for the company, that will be mine in no time."
Ha-Min stared at her, a mixture of disbelief and admiration in his eyes. So with just one move she just got a pass escaping the states and staying back while all along making some connections which will help her in the long run.
Ha-Min shook his head, a reluctant smile tugging at his lips. "You really are something else, Noona."
Ha-Na chuckled softly. "Trust me. This is just the beginning. You'll see how incredible I can be in the future," she said, winking at him.
With that, she looked out the window, her mind already plotting her next move. Ha-Min also seemed to relax, leaning back in his seat.
She had thrown the first punch, and now it was time to see how the pieces would fall.
As the party for Kang's seemed to reach its end, it was just getting started for Wang Hyun-Jin.
As soon as he exited the stage, his assistant, Seo Woo-Jin, approached and bowed slightly. "Sir Wang," he said, waiting for further instructions.
"Let's go greet my lovely family. They've probably been waiting for this day for years," Hyun-Jin said, his voice dripping with sarcasm towards the end. Woo-Jin nodded stiffly, fully aware of the underlying sentiment.
Near the Grand Staircase, he spotted a small crowd of ladies, draped in opulent gowns and adorned with sparkling jewels, gathered around glasses of champagne. Among them, his sister's voice rang out louder than necessary, drawing the attention of the group.
Meet Wang Ha-Young, the only daughter of Wang Il Sung. A prominent figure in high society, she possessed a disdainful attitude towards almost everyone, fueled by an unyielding ambition to secure her son's position as the heir to Wang's Corporations.
Even from a distance, he could hear her clearly.
"My darling Hye-Ri, she truly lacks nothing. It's such a pity she couldn't join us tonight. She would have outshone everyone," the woman in the dark maroon gown declared, her diamond and ruby necklace glinting under the lights. Her hair was styled in a messy bun, with deliberate black curls framing her delicate face. She sighed dramatically, clearly relishing the attention her words garnered.
"When is she completing her studies?" inquired Lady Hwang Min-Seo with keen interest, her curiosity palpable.
"Oh, she'll be back in a couple of months, once she's completed her business degree," Ha-Young replied, her tone laced with exaggeration, followed by a chuckle.
Lady Ahn, within their affluent circle, posed the next question delicately, "Should we anticipate a welcome-back party from your esteemed family?"
Wang Ha-Young, who appeared to be the center of attention in the small gathering, widened her eyes slightly and gestured dramatically with her hand. "Of course, there will be a party. A grand one at that. When she returns, I'm certain you all will be lining up with your sons for her hand." The group chuckled in response until a voice interrupted from behind the lady in maroon.
"Then, I suppose you must be planning an equally grand welcome party for me too, correct?" The comment carried a sharp edge, yet the speaker's lips curved into a faint, playful smile.
Hyun-Jin's voice filtered through the ladies ears, causing them all to turn towards him except for Ha-Young. For a fleeting moment, her face betrayed a flash of mortification—her eyes widened imperceptibly before quickly regaining composure, narrowing slightly.
"He returned?" She questioned silently in disbelief, unable to fathom how he managed to be here.
Well, even if he returned, he couldn't possibly stay long once Father arrives. She smirked at the thought, her expression hardening with genuine disdain as she turned to face him.
Hyun-Jin saw her visibly taken aback, her composure momentarily shattered. With a faint smirk playing on his lips, he deliberately addressed her, "Sister?"
Upon hearing his words, Ha-Young's expression contorted as if she had tasted something bitter. Her crimson lips, tainted with red, twisted into a disdainful frown as she openly glared at him.
Murmurs rippled through the group as the other ladies subtly distanced themselves from the Wang siblings, sensing the sudden tension in the air.
"Don't call me sister. It's utterly disgusting," she sneered venomously, her voice dripping with disdain. With a sharp scoff, she continued, her contempt palpable, "You bloody lowlife."