Chapter 11.

Translator: Lili

After a moment of silence, he finally spoke, his voice deliberately slow, as if savoring her anticipation.

“Are you done with your speech?”

“What?”

“I believe I’ve made myself clear. I have a meeting soon.”

“…”

“So, I’d like you to leave now.”

Sera’s mouth fell open at his outright dismissal. A faint smirk flickered across Cha Jaeheon’s face as he took in her incredulous expression.

Without even having the chance to argue properly, Sera was practically thrown out of the residence. It was only after she left that she realized—he hadn’t given her an answer.

***

Cha Jaeheon stared at the empty space where Shin Sera had just been, a look of intrigue on his face.

He’d heard rumors about her memory loss, but he hadn’t expected such a drastic change in her personality.

— You won’t find someone as suitable as me anyway. Have you forgotten that I have Sungwon backing me? You don’t have the luxury of treating me like I’m beneath you, so stop acting so high and mighty!

He recalled Shin Sera’s furious outburst after one of his repeated rejections. The exact expression on her face was hazy in his memory, but he could vividly remember the dry chuckle that had escaped him at her baseless confidence.

That was the kind of person Shin Sera was. A woman so unbearably exhausting that he wanted to avoid her at all costs.

And yet, Sungwon Group was a tempting option. If marriage was purely a matter of strategy, then the wisest choice was to sell himself at the highest price possible. That was the only reason he had accepted the engagement.

It wasn’t like either of them was marrying for love. Dealing with a deranged fiancée was just another inconvenience to tolerate.

At least, that was what Cha Jaeheon had thought at the time.

— I will treat you strictly as a business partner. If the benefits of this marriage disappear, I will demand a divorce.

— …

— If you expect any personal affection from me, you will only be disappointed. Do you still want this marriage?

— …Fine. Let’s do it.

They had held a formal engagement ceremony, but outside of necessary occasions, Cha Jaeheon never saw Shin Sera. He ignored her, left her alone. He had assumed she would be fine with it—after all, she had agreed to the arrangement.

— Even if this is a business marriage, I’m still your fiancée! How can you ignore me like this? This isn’t just an insult to me—it’s an insult to the Chairman!

— Keep acting like this, and you’ll regret it when my feelings change!

— I’m Shin Sera of Sungwon Group! Aaaagh!

But Sera had conveniently forgotten their agreement. Time and time again, she threw tantrums, wept, screamed, and demanded attention. Every outburst ended with the same desperate plea—for him to love her.

— But we’re going to be husband and wife soon. Can’t we at least try to love each other? If you can’t love me, then at least try to love my background. Maybe… maybe that will make you like me one day?

Cha Jaeheon prided himself on his self-control, but even he found Shin Sera unbearable. Every time she paraded around as if she was someone significant—when the only thing she had was her family name—he felt an almost violent urge to crush her.

— I’m sorry for getting mad the other day. I was just feeling really overwhelmed. You know how sensitive I can be, right?

And yet, the reason he hadn’t cut her off completely was her sheer ability to grovel. No matter how much she raged, she always came crawling back.

It was pathetic, but she wasn’t entirely useless. The backing of Sungwon Group was still valuable. Besides, no matter whom he married, it would be a loveless, superficial union. Why bother going through the hassle of a broken engagement?

— I’ll do whatever you want from now on. Just let the wedding proceed as planned.

As long as her pitiful little mind games didn’t escalate into anything disruptive, he didn’t care. Shin Sera wasn’t worth his attention or energy.

— We should break off the engagement. It’s best for both of us to live our own lives.

…Just when he thought she had finally quieted down, she was starting again.

‘Did this woman have no ability to learn?’

Cha Jaeheon sighed at the unexpected message from his fiancée. For once, he had reached out first, intending to remind her to behave.

But when he met her…

She felt like an entirely different person.

Had Shin Sera ever expressed herself so calmly before?

The Sera he knew was always either overly excited or deeply miserable. She was driven by nothing but volatile emotions. But today, something was different.

It wasn’t just her words or tone. There was a fundamental sense of unfamiliarity about her that unsettled him.

For a brief moment, he found himself intrigued.

Then, he dismissed it as another attempt to manipulate his interests.

How many times had he wasted his time on Shin Sera’s cheap tricks?

— I don’t want to marry you.

But that statement—now that was new.

It was almost amusing.

“Director Cha, the team has arrived. Shall I send them in?”

“Yes.”

Straightening his cuffs, Cha Jaeheon rose from his seat.

To maintain absolute secrecy over the ongoing merger and acquisition project, he had set up a secure workspace in the penthouse of Geumgang’s private residence building.

As Director Kim and the strategic planning team entered, Cha Jaeheon’s mind smoothly transitioned into work mode.

What had just happened was already being erased from his thoughts.

Because to Cha Jaeheon, Shin Sera was nothing more than that—a bothersome presence he hoped would finally learn to stay out of his way.

***