The Negotiator's Gambit
Kim Eunju was in the kitchen preparing breakfast. Her movements were as routine as ever, but the lingering marks on her body served as a constant, intrusive reminder of the previous night. Lee Han had already risen early, shared a light kiss with her, and slipped out of the apartment quietly.
Kim Eunju glanced toward the living room. She could see Jinho playing with his toys by himself. She smiled at the sight of her son for a moment, but soon refocused on her morning chores. Yet, the memories of last night continued to swirl in her mind.
She unconsciously touched the back of her neck. The moments of passion—in the bathtub, in the living room, in the bedroom—played on a loop. She couldn't even remember the last time she had been involved in such an intense encounter.
'It must have been before Jinu was born, back when I was still dating Hyunwoo...'
She let out a sigh. The Hyunwoo of today still loved her, but he no longer held her with that same fiery intensity. 'It must be because he's tired...' Even as she told herself this, a sense of longing crept into a corner of her heart.
That longing soon curdled into guilt. But at the same time, a strange thought flickered through her mind.
'By being punished like this... it feels like our family is actually becoming happier.'
Kim Eunju was startled by the thought and shook her head. But the idea had already taken root in the depths of her psyche.
The guilt stemming from her pathological jealousy had led her to accept her relationship with Lee Han as a form of penance, and that had now warped into a twisted form of affection for her family. Unaware of this shift, Kim Eunju continued to justify her actions.
"Mom!" Jinu’s voice pulled her back to reality.
"Yes, my baby?" She approached her son with a smile.
As she scooped Jinu up into her arms, she thought, 'This is all for the sake of our family. I just want to be a good mother and a good wife.'
She kissed Jinu on the forehead, finished preparing breakfast, and began to get ready for work.
Lee Han headed toward the management office, yawning. His entire body felt stiff, likely from overexerting himself the night before. As he reached the office and stretched, he caught sight of Park Mina waiting by the door.
Park Mina looked anxious, fidgeting with the choker around her neck. Her fingers traced the edge of the accessory slowly. When Lee Han approached, her eyes lit up.
"Manager!" Park Mina called out happily and ran toward him.
She hugged Lee Han without hesitation and gave him a light kiss. Lee Han wrapped his arms around her waist and asked, "Have you been waiting long?"
"No, I just got here," Park Mina replied.
Lee Han glanced at his watch. Park Mina’s start time seemed tight. He playfully pinched her cheek and said, "I didn't think you were capable of lying, Mina."
Park Mina giggled and kissed his lips once more. Her hand drifted back to her choker, but this time, she touched it as if she were proud of it.
"I'm off to work."
She hurried away. Lee Han watched her go with a smirk.
He shook his head and opened the office door. As he stepped inside, Lee Han yawned again.
The midday sun streamed through the windows of the management office. Lee Han sat at his desk, looking at Han Sujin with an uncomfortable expression. Han Sujin sat comfortably on the sofa, flipping through a magazine. Lee Han’s face was a mix of annoyance and disbelief.
'Because of this woman, I can't get my work done according to plan.' Lee Han muttered to himself. His fingers tapped lightly against the desk.
Han Sujin felt his gaze and looked up. She gave him a coy smile. "Is something not going according to plan?" There was a hint of mockery in her voice.
Lee Han waved his hand, a gesture meant to tell her to mind her own business. He checked his watch and said, "She should be here around now."
Before he could even finish his sentence, the door to the management office opened. Jeong Seoyeon stepped inside. She scanned the office, and upon seeing Han Sujin sitting on the sofa, her expression stiffened slightly, a flicker of wariness crossing her eyes.
Seeing this, Han Sujin immediately stood up with a smile. "Hello. I'm Han Sujin, the head of the apartment women's association." Her voice was soft and friendly.
Jeong Seoyeon seemed flustered for a moment, but soon offered a polite smile in return. "Hello, I'm Jeong Seoyeon." Her voice was calm.
Han Sujin stood up carefully and said to Lee Han, "Well, I’ll be going now." She shot Lee Han a meaningful look.
As she approached the door, Jeong Seoyeon stepped aside slightly, and Han Sujin expressed her thanks. In the process, Han Sujin naturally cradled her stomach. Jeong Seoyeon took note of the gesture, a flicker of curiosity crossing her eyes.
Once the door closed, Jeong Seoyeon turned to Lee Han. "Why did you contact me again?" There was a hint of defensiveness in her voice.
Lee Han licked his lips slightly and began to speak. His eyes held a subtle sense of anticipation.
"Seoyeon, could we talk a bit more about what we discussed last time?"
Jeong Seoyeon seemed to hesitate for a moment, but soon sat down on the sofa and said, "Isn't that already over?"
Lee Han slowly stood up from his chair and approached Jeong Seoyeon. A subtle smile played on his lips.
"Actually, I’ve learned something about you..."
Lee Han slowly pulled a few photos from a document envelope and placed them on the desk in front of Jeong Seoyeon. Her eyes darted to the photos. A moment of tension flashed across her face.
The first photo showed her with a foreign man. The second and third photos were similar. Jeong Seoyeon’s expression grew increasingly rigid.
The final photo showed her walking with Kim Taewoo the previous night. Jeong Seoyeon gasped. Her eyes glared fiercely at Lee Han.
Lee Han sat down opposite her without a word. A faint smile lingered on his lips.
Jeong Seoyeon bit her lip. Her voice was firm.
"What is the meaning of this? This is an invasion of privacy."
Lee Han shrugged.
"Kim Taewoo, he’s a surgical specialist at Seoul National University Hospital, right?"
Jeong Seoyeon’s expression hardened even further. Her elegant demeanor shifted into a cold, icy mask in an instant.
Lee Han felt a sense of admiration as he watched her.
'What an incredible woman.'
"What do you want?"
Jeong Seoyeon’s voice was as cold as ice, but Lee Han replied with a smile still on his face.
"Who knows."
Jeong Seoyeon suddenly leaned back against the sofa.
She glared at Lee Han, bit her lip hard, and then clicked her tongue. "Tsk, I got caught here."
A moment of silence passed. Jeong Seoyeon’s gaze shifted. The confusion and anger vanished from her expression, replaced by a calm, calculating demeanor.
"Fine. Let’s negotiate," Jeong Seoyeon said. Her voice was now purely professional.
Lee Han leaned deeper into his chair. A glimmer of victory flashed in his eyes.
"What kind of proposal do you have in mind?"
Jeong Seoyeon slowly stood up. Her gaze was sharp.
"First, tell me exactly what you want."
A tense atmosphere hung between them. This was no simple negotiation. It was a moment where their desires and schemes collided.
Tension filled the air. Jeong Seoyeon’s fingers moved nervously on the desk, while Lee Han watched her with a relaxed expression.
Jeong Seoyeon asked with a sharp gaze, "Is it money?"
Her voice was laced with wariness.
Lee Han slowly shook his head. His eyes twinkled with mischief. Jeong Seoyeon’s eyes narrowed. She fell into thought for a moment before opening her mouth again.
"Then... do you want my body?"
Her voice was cold and resolute.
A smile spread across Lee Han’s lips. Reading the meaning behind that smile, Jeong Seoyeon smirked and uncrossed her legs. Her fingers tapped the photos on the desk.
"Is this the end of it?"
Jeong Seoyeon’s eyes scanned the photos.
"Of course not," Lee Han’s voice was soft, but the meaning hidden within was threatening.
Jeong Seoyeon bit her lip for a moment. Various thoughts raced through her mind.
"How can I trust you?"
"If we can't trust each other, we can't make a contract."
At Lee Han’s reply, Jeong Seoyeon’s gaze grew even sharper. She struggled to find the trap hidden in his words.
After a silence, Jeong Seoyeon spoke. Her voice was filled with determination.
"Let’s set a time limit."
Interest flickered in Lee Han’s eyes. He seemed surprised by her proposal, but at the same time, he felt a sense of anticipation.
Jeong Seoyeon continued, "Rather than being dragged around by you for the rest of my life, it might be better to just burn it all down."
Her voice was a mix of threat and resolve. Lee Han inwardly admired her confident attitude.
'This woman, she’s truly not to be trifled with.'
He felt intrigued by her boldness.
"Very well. Let’s think about it for now and discuss the proposal again tomorrow," Lee Han suggested. His voice was relaxed.
Jeong Seoyeon gathered all the photos and stood up. There was tension in her movements.
"I can take these, right?"
When Lee Han nodded, Jeong Seoyeon immediately began to tear the photos. The sound of tearing paper echoed through the office. Her actions were filled with anger and resolve. The shredded pieces of the photos fell into the trash can.
Watching Jeong Seoyeon’s back as she slammed the door shut, Lee Han leaned back into his chair. A smile spread across his lips. It was a mix of triumph and anticipation.
'This is going to get interesting.'
He slowly stood up and walked to the window.
Outside, Jeong Seoyeon was walking away with quick strides. Her gait was heavy with anger and anxiety. Lee Han watched her retreating figure and fell into thought.
'I wonder what kind of proposal she’ll make... I’m looking forward to tomorrow.'
Jeong Seoyeon entered her home with a disheveled gait. As soon as she closed the door, anger surged to her face.
"Lee Han, was it..." she muttered.
Past memories surfaced vividly. The first time they had crossed paths. When she had brought a black friend over, she had run into a couple. She hadn't known it then, but she remembered receiving a call from the management office the next day. Thinking back, the person she had met then was Lee Han.
The second time was when she was being carried in by Kim Taewoo, pretending to be drunk. Lee Han had approached and greeted her, and though she had felt a sinister vibe at the time, she had just brushed it off.
"Looking at the way he operates, it’s clear he hasn't done this just once or twice."
Jeong Seoyeon’s voice was laced with annoyance and anger. She also recalled the woman Lee Han had been with when she first saw him. Perhaps she had felt wary of him instinctively because he was so similar to her.
"I’ve been caught by a real piece of work."
She let out a sigh. She could intuitively feel that Lee Han was no mere building manager, that he was orchestrating some grand design. Jeong Seoyeon bitterly regretted her lack of caution.
She threw herself onto the sofa. She clutched her head, struggling to find a solution, but the deadline was too tight. A sense of frustration washed over her at the realization that she would eventually have to sign a contract with him.
But she couldn't just accept it meekly. Jeong Seoyeon began to rack her brain. Her eyes sharpened.
"I have to make this situation work in my favor, no matter what."
She made up her mind. She began to map out various scenarios to make the contract terms as favorable to her as possible.
Time passed. Jeong Seoyeon rose from the sofa and walked to the window. As she looked out at the scenery, a plan began to take shape in her mind.
"Lee Han... I know what you want. But I’m going to play this game from the most advantageous position possible."
Her eyes burned with resolve.
Jeong Seoyeon took out a notepad. She began to meticulously write down her demands and negotiation strategies. She detailed clauses regarding time limits, frequency of meetings, and, above all, protection for her private life and her professional career.
"I have to protect myself as much as possible like this."
She muttered to herself. There was no longer any anxiety in Jeong Seoyeon’s expression. Instead, a cold, level-headed determination had taken its place.
As she prepared for her next meeting with Lee Han, she continued to ponder how to maintain her secrets while securing the most advantageous position. The will to turn this crisis into an opportunity shone in her eyes.