IRLPLBIO Chapter 20 Part 1

Chapter 20 #4. Backstabbing (5)

Han Ga-yeon took another breath and spoke calmly.

“Yes, Eldest Brother.”

“It seems you’re living well.”

She thought she had grown accustomed to Han Moo-jin’s calm and cold tone, but hearing it after a long time, she felt a fresh sense of pressure. Han Moo-jin, on the other end of the silent phone line, also seemed to sense Han Ga-yeon’s feelings.

“There’s no need to be nervous. I just called to ask how you were. Gyeong-jin said you’re thinking of returning?”

“Second Brother? But I met Yun-cheol…”

“It seems he’s close with Gyeong-jin.”

A flicker of displeasure crossed Han Moo-jin’s tone for a moment, then vanished before she could fully grasp it. Even Han Moo-jin, known as the “Iron Mask” for never showing emotion in public, seemed to let his guard down when it came to family.

“Anyway, Ga-yeon, I’m disappointed that I had to hear it from someone else. If you had told me first, I would have supported you generously.”

While he claimed it was a greeting, Han Moo-jin was pressuring Han Ga-yeon by expressing disappointment. The price Han Ga-yeon would have to pay for his “support” was clear. She knew Han Moo-jin would say something like this, but she hadn’t expected it to come up so early in the conversation.

Han Ga-yeon’s expression hardened. Im Ho-sin, seeing her clenched fists turn white, quickly brought her water.

“What kind of support?”

“There’s a lot I can do. I can send him to study abroad, or put him in a private high school to build a resume that makes it easy to get into university. We’d cover all the tuition, of course. If he doesn’t want to go to college, I can help him start a business, or put him in a subsidiary through special recruitment, giving him an easy, high-paying job.”

The words flowed smoothly. The more she listened, the more she realized he was calculating to keep Park Kwang-cheol in check.

Han Ga-yeon sighed. At first, she thought Kwang-cheol’s desire to go to the Dae-yeong Group was childish and reckless.

But now, she saw that Kwang-cheol had thought it through very well. In exchange for not running away, he gained “caution” and “check,” but also the “right” to compete on similar footing with the other successors.

Since Kwang-cheol had chosen a head-on confrontation instead of fleeing from danger, Han Ga-yeon would actively support his choice. It would have been the same no matter what Kwang-cheol chose.

“Brother.”

“Kwang-cheol, was it? You gave the child a name with the generational character. You must have had no intention of hiding that he’s a Dae-yeong bloodline. I also have no intention of treating my nephew poorly. So you, too, must judge well and choose the path that will benefit him the most…”

“Brother!”

Han Ga-yeon’s voice rose.

Han Moo-jin on the other end of the line fell silent. He was displeased that his youngest sister had raised her voice, but he didn’t show it.

Han Moo-jin was always a man who pursued the greatest advantage. He instinctively knew that the third-generation owner of Dae-yeong would change depending on whether he persuaded Han Ga-yeon or not.

Han Ga-yeon also had good intuition. She realized that now, when her usually stiff-necked brother was the one making a pleading remark, was her chance to assert herself.

“Listen closely, Brother. You and I are both past the age where a few ridiculous words can snatch away our candy, aren’t we? So I won’t drag this out.”

Gasping for breath and tensing her stomach, Han Ga-yeon glared at the unseen person on the other end.

Im Ho-sin, who had been holding his breath opposite Han Ga-yeon, trembled. Han Ga-yeon’s current appearance was like when he first met her.

The strong daughter of Dae-yeong, the youngest among her siblings, yet once considered a candidate for the next Chairman, Han Ga-yeon had returned.

“Listen carefully. You’ll have to return my subsidiary that you’ve been ‘keeping’ all this time. And I clearly remember my share of Dae-yeong Mulsan stock, so don’t leave out a single share. Oh, and don’t forget the dividends and interest calculated at the statutory rate.”

“Han Ga-yeon, you…!”

“Don’t forget. The department store and hotel you have now were originally mine. Consider yourself lucky I’m not calculating the distribution equity too.”

“…Ga-yeon, do you think you can be comfortable if you return like this? You, and your child…”

“You’ve lost your touch since I last saw you, Brother. If you really want to threaten me, go cry to Father. Though I doubt he’ll listen, being a meritocrat.”

Having said her piece, Han Ga-yeon hung up without listening to his reply. She then glared at her mobile phone for a while even after pressing the end call button, before collapsing onto the table as if her strength had given out.

Im Ho-sin, startled, hesitantly asked, “Are you alright?”

Han Ga-yeon, still face down, slightly turned her head to look at Im Ho-sin. Perhaps it was the lingering intensity from moments ago, but small sparks seemed to flicker in her eyes.

“What do I do? I’ve gone and done it.”

“You… did well.”

“Which reminds me, Lawyer Im Ho-sin. You’ll have to help me.”

“……!”

Im Ho-sin, who had been thinking that he couldn’t stay with her now that he was under suspicion, jumped up in surprise.

“A-are you sure?”

“If you help me, yes.”

“I…”

“I’ll say it first. He’s my son, but Kwang-cheol is really exceptional. He’s intelligent, strong, and even a Dominant Alpha.”

“…What? What are you talking about?”

He probably wasn’t asking because he truly didn’t know. Instead of asking if he understood, Han Ga-yeon explained in more detail.

“I know it’s hard to compare me and my brother. My eldest brother is already Chairman, and my other brothers each have a subsidiary. But if you compare Kwang-cheol to my nephews, wouldn’t you get an answer?”

“……”

Han Ga-yeon’s way of speaking was subtle. Im Ho-sin was clearly the one with the choice to follow her or not, but somehow, it felt as if Im Ho-sin would be the one to plead with Han Ga-yeon to let him serve her.

About a week had passed since the exams ended. Even the guys who had been excitedly playing around were slowly coming to their senses, and many started worrying about university. After reaching 11th grade and taking midterm exams, it was natural to realize one’s place.

Of course, there was still one who hadn’t. Joo Hae-jun, who was pestering Jae-gu next to him.