Heeseung guided Yuna through the lavish halls of the luxury hotel, their footsteps muffled by the thick carpet beneath them. After ensuring she had a room to herself, he waited patiently in the lounge, scrolling through his phone to pass the time. When she finally reappeared, now dressed in comfortable clothes—a simple oversized hoodie and leggings that somehow still made her look effortlessly beautiful—he offered her a small, reassuring smile.
"You good?" he asked.
She nodded, pulling her hair into a loose ponytail as they made their way back to the car. The ride to the airport was quiet, with Yuna gazing out of the window, lost in thought. Heeseung didn't push her to talk, sensing she needed the silence. When they finally arrived, the sight of the private jet waiting on the runway caught Yuna off guard. The sleek white aircraft, with the Jeong family crest emblazoned on its tail, stood like a symbol of power and privilege—a world she was still struggling to navigate.
Heeseung stepped out first, offering his hand to help her climb the steps. "Careful," he said, his tone warm but casual.
"Thanks," Yuna murmured as she accepted his hand. Her touch was light, almost hesitant, but Heeseung's grip was steady, grounding.
"Anytime," he replied with a small grin as they entered the jet.
The interior of the plane was just as extravagant as she had imagined—plush leather seats, polished wooden tables, and a minibar stocked with every drink imaginable. Yuna chose a seat by the window, her eyes drawn to the darkening sky outside. She hugged her knees to her chest, a thousand thoughts swirling in her mind.
Heeseung watched her for a moment before moving to the minibar. A faint smile played on his lips as he prepared a drink. Returning to her, he handed her a steaming cup of hot chocolate. The rich aroma filled the air, and Yuna blinked, surprised by the gesture.
"Hey, you want some?" he asked, holding out the cup.
"Thanks," she said softly, taking it from him. Her fingers brushed his briefly, and for a second, she felt a spark of warmth amidst the chaos of her emotions.
Heeseung settled into the seat across from her, watching as she took a tentative sip. "How are you feeling?" he asked, his voice gentle but probing.
Yuna sighed, lowering the cup slightly. "I... I don't know," she admitted, her voice tinged with exhaustion. "It's like everything's happening so fast, and I can't keep up. One moment, I'm supposed to marry Jaewon, and the next, I'm... here. With you." Her gaze flickered to him, uncertainty clouding her eyes.
Heeseung leaned back, his expression unreadable. "Yeah, I can imagine it's a lot to process," he said. "But you're handling it pretty well, all things considered."
She let out a humorless laugh. "Am I? It doesn't feel like it."
For a moment, they sat in silence, the hum of the jet's engine filling the space between them. Finally, Yuna broke the quiet. "Hey... can I ask you something?"
Heeseung raised an eyebrow, curious. "Hm?"
She hesitated, gripping the cup tighter. "Why did you accept my proposal? You could have rejected it, you know. No one would have blamed you. So... why?"
Her question hung in the air, heavy with vulnerability. Heeseung's expression softened, and he leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees. "You really want to know?" he asked.
Yuna nodded, her heart pounding as she awaited his answer.
Heeseung exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Honestly? At first, I wasn't sure. It was so sudden, and I knew it wasn't exactly what you wanted. But then..." He paused, searching for the right words. "I thought about you. About how much you've been through, how strong you've had to be, even when the people you trusted betrayed you. I didn't want to stand by and let you face all of that alone."
Yuna's eyes widened, her lips parting in surprise. "You... you thought about me?"
Heeseung nodded, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah. I've always thought about you, Yuna. Even when you didn't notice, I was there. And when you looked at me today, asking for my help... I couldn't say no. I didn't want to." His voice was steady, but there was a raw sincerity in his words that made her chest tighten.
Yuna felt her throat constrict, emotions she couldn't name welling up inside her. She lowered her gaze, staring into the swirling chocolate in her cup. "I don't know what to say," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
"You don't have to say anything," Heeseung said gently. "Just know that you're not alone anymore. Whatever happens from here on out, we'll figure it out together."
For the first time in what felt like forever, Yuna felt a flicker of hope. She glanced up at Heeseung, his calm presence grounding her in a way she hadn't expected. "Thank you," she said, her voice trembling but genuine.
Heeseung gave her a small nod, his eyes warm. "Anytime, Yuna. Anytime."
"Well, I'll just… go and rest now," Yuna muttered, her voice subdued, as she avoided meeting Heeseung's gaze. She felt the weight of the day pressing down on her, suffocating her with every step she took toward the private bedroom in the jet. Once inside, she shut the door behind her and leaned against it, closing her eyes for a brief moment as if trying to block out the world.
The room was luxurious, adorned with plush furnishings and soft lighting that seemed almost too extravagant for someone feeling so hollow inside. Yuna moved toward the bed, sinking onto its edge. Her hands fidgeted in her lap as her mind raced. Sleep felt impossible, her emotions too tangled to untangle.
With a sigh, she grabbed her phone, hoping for a distraction. She unlocked the screen and opened her favorite social media app. At first, she scrolled mindlessly, her thumb moving across the screen without registering much. But soon, the trending topics caught her eye, and her stomach dropped.
"Jeong Family Wedding: Shocking Pairing Steals Spotlight!"
"Gold Digger or Smart Strategist? Meet the Bride Who Bagged Heeseung Jeong."
"Yuna Park: From Nobody to Mrs. Jeong—But at What Cost?"
Her pulse quickened as she read through the headlines, each one more biting than the last. Against her better judgment, she clicked on the comments section. It was a mistake.
"She's just in it for the money. Typical gold digger."
"Can you believe Heeseung Jeong actually married her? Talk about trading down."
"She doesn't even look like she belongs in their world. Poor Heeseung must've been forced."
"Bet she's already planning how to spend the Jeong fortune. Disgusting."
Each comment felt like a dagger slicing into her. The words blurred as tears welled in her eyes, but she couldn't stop scrolling. The more she read, the heavier the ache in her chest grew. It was as if the world had turned against her, ready to tear her apart for daring to step into a life she hadn't even asked for.
Her grip on the phone tightened until her knuckles turned white. The cruel words echoed in her mind, magnifying every insecurity she had tried so hard to bury. She thought of Sohee's betrayal, of Jaewon's smug taunts, of the judgmental glances she'd endured during the ceremony. All of it culminated into a suffocating wave that she could no longer hold back.
The first tear slipped down her cheek, followed by another, and then another, until she was openly sobbing. She curled into herself, clutching the phone against her chest as if trying to shield her heart from breaking further. The sound of her own cries filled the room, raw and unrestrained.
"I trusted them," she whispered between sobs, her voice cracking under the weight of her anguish. "I trusted Sohee like a sister. I never thought she'd betray me like this. I never thought…" Her words trailed off as her sobs grew louder, shaking her small frame.
She tried to remind herself that none of this mattered—that the people commenting didn't know her, didn't know the truth. But the words stuck to her like thorns, each one tearing at her fragile sense of self. The image of herself that she had worked so hard to build now felt shattered, replaced by the world's cruel caricature of a scheming opportunist.
Her phone slipped from her hands, landing on the soft duvet with a muted thud. Yuna buried her face in her hands, the tears flowing freely now. She felt alone, utterly and painfully alone, despite the knowledge that Heeseung was just a few steps away. Would he eventually think the same? Would he come to believe the narrative that she was nothing more than a gold digger who had manipulated her way into his life?
The thought made her cry harder, her chest heaving with the force of her sobs. All the strength she had mustered to get through the day crumbled in the privacy of this room, leaving her vulnerable and broken.
Eventually, her tears subsided into quiet sniffles, though the ache in her heart remained. She wiped her face with trembling hands, glancing toward the door. A small part of her wanted to run to Heeseung, to seek comfort in his presence, but another part—the louder part—feared that he would see her as weak, as undeserving.
Yuna pulled her knees to her chest, resting her chin on them as she stared blankly ahead. The world outside the jet felt cruel and unrelenting, but inside this room, she allowed herself to feel the pain she had been holding back.
Heeseung pushed the door open quietly, intending only to grab his charger, but the sight before him stopped him in his tracks. Yuna was sitting on the edge of the bed, her figure hunched, her shoulders trembling violently. Her hands covered her face as muffled sobs escaped her lips, breaking the heavy silence of the room. The dim lighting cast long shadows across the room, emphasizing her fragile, heartbroken state.
Heeseung's brows furrowed instantly, concern flooding his features. He stepped further into the room, his movements cautious, as if afraid he might startle her. "Yuna?" he called softly, his voice laced with worry.
She didn't respond, her cries growing louder instead, her body shaking harder with each sob. Her hands clutched her knees tightly, as if she were trying to hold herself together, but it was clear that she was falling apart. The sight of her like this—a woman who had always seemed so composed, so resilient—hit him like a punch to the gut.
Heeseung quickened his pace, kneeling down in front of her so he could see her face. "Hey, what's wrong? What happened?" he asked gently, his voice barely above a whisper as he reached out to place a comforting hand on her arm.
Yuna shook her head, unable to form any words. Her lips quivered, and the sound of her choked cries tugged at his heart. She looked so small, so vulnerable, and Heeseung felt an overwhelming urge to protect her from whatever was causing her this pain.
His gaze shifted to the bed, where her phone lay face-up, the screen lit with notifications. His brows furrowed deeper as he reached for it, his hand brushing hers in the process. Yuna didn't stop him, too consumed by her emotions to notice.