The drive back to Seongbuk-dong passed in a blur of neon city lights and autumn rain. Ji-won sat in the back of the executive sedan, his knees drawn slightly to his chest as he pressed his warm cheek against the cool glass of the window. His pulse still hadn't completely settled. Every time he closed his eyes, he could still smell that faint trace of sandalwood and feel the lingering phantom touch of Lu Sheng’s knuckles against his jaw. When he stepped through the heavy front doors of the estate, the grand foyer was remarkably quiet. Min-jun and Do-hyun were trapped in an emergency video conference with the European logistics board, their raised, agitated voices echoing faintly from the second-floor study. Ji-ho was locked in his library, no doubt running data regressions on market trends. Even Chairman Kang had been dispatched to his private study to review his medical reports. Only Mrs. Kang remained downstairs. She was sitting on a plush cream velvet sofa in the private tea salon, draped in a deep emerald silk robe. In front of her sat a delicate silver tray holding a steaming porcelain teapot and two matching cups. She set down her reading glasses, her sharp, analytical eyes locking onto Ji-won the second he crossed the threshold. "Ji-won-ah," she called softly, her voice carrying that quiet, absolute authority that could stop a warship in its tracks. "Come sit with me." Ji-won blinked, quickly smoothing down his knit sweater and adjusting his satchel. "Ah... yes, Mother. Did you need something?" "I need my youngest son to drink a cup of chamomile tea before his heart leaps entirely out of his chest," she replied smoothly, gesturing toward the empty seat across from her. Ji-won flushed, a bright, rosy pink climbing up his neck as he walked into the salon and sat down on the edge of the cushions. "I... I just finished a very long lecture on corporate law, Mother. It was a bit intense." Mrs. Kang let out a low, elegant hum as she poured the pale golden tea into a cup and slid it across the glass table toward him. "A corporate law lecture," she repeated, her sharp lips curving into a tiny, amused smirk. "I see. And does corporate restructuring usually leave your skin smelling like custom Italian sandalwood and rain?" Ji-won froze, his hand hovering an inch above the porcelain teacup. His heart gave a violent, guilty thud. He had forgotten how terrifyingly perceptive his mother was. In his first life, she had been a distant, legendary figure who barely looked at him. In this life, nothing escaped her. "I..." Ji-won swallowed hard, looking down at the amber liquid. "It's not what you think, Mother. I wasn't... I didn't do anything reckless." "I know you didn't," Mrs. Kang said gently, her tone shifting from playful to remarkably quiet and grounded. She picked up her own cup, taking a slow, graceful sip before setting it down. "Your brothers think you are made of spun glass, Ji-won-ah. They treat every shadow in Seoul as an invading force because they love you, but their fear makes them blind. They see Lu Sheng as a monster at the gates." Ji-won looked up, his wide eyes meeting his mother's steady, uncompromising gaze. "And... how do you see him?" "I see a man who has never been denied a single thing in his entire life," Mrs. Kang stated flatly, her dark eyes flashing with sharp intellect. "The Lu family breeds wolves, Ji-won. They teach their sons to calculate human worth in market shares and strategic leverage. Lu Sheng grew up believing that if he wants a prize, he must conquer it." She leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on the armrests, her emerald silk sleeves cascading around her wrists. "But a man who enters a secured vehicle merely to touch your jaw and ask if you enjoyed your afternoon lecture is no longer acting like a corporate conqueror," she continued, her voice soft yet piercingly clear. "He is acting like a fool in love. And a powerful man who allows himself to look foolish in front of you is a far more complicated variable than a simple enemy." Ji-won’s throat felt dry. He clutched his hands in his lap, feeling a strange mix of relief and intense embarrassment. "Mother... I don't know what to do. I don't want to hurt Min-jun Hyung or bring trouble to the family. But when Lu Sheng is near me... it doesn't feel like the past anymore. He isn't threatening me. He's asking me." Mrs. Kang reached across the table, her long, elegant fingers wrapping firmly around Ji-won's trembling hands. Her skin was warm, smooth, and smelled faintly of fresh roses. "Listen to me very carefully, Ji-won," she said, her voice filled with a fierce, protective maternal wisdom. "You do not owe your brothers your silence, nor do you owe Lu Sheng your surrender. In this life, you are not a pawn to be traded between the Kangs and the Lus. If you choose to stand near a flame, you must ensure you are the one holding the torch." Ji-won stared at her, the chaotic noise in his mind suddenly falling quiet. "Holding the torch?" "Do not let him set the rules of engagement," Mrs. Kang smiled—a dark, brilliant, incredibly clever expression that revealed exactly why Chairman Kang worshipped the ground she walked on. "If Lu Sheng wants your time, let him earn it under your conditions. Let him sweat. Let him wait. Make him realize that the youngest Kang brother is not a quiet prize to be won, but a sovereign force to be respected." A slow, genuine smile began to spread across Ji-won’s face. The heavy weight that had been pressing against his chest ever since he stepped out of the car finally dissolved, replaced by a surge of warm, unshakable clarity. "Thank you, Mother," Ji-won murmured softly, leaning forward to squeeze her hand tightly. "Of course, my sweet boy," Mrs. Kang replied softly, patting his cheek gently. Her sharp expression suddenly melted back into that terrifying, high-society authority. "Now, drink your tea. And if your brothers come downstairs demanding a security audit of your sweater, I will personally lock them in the wine cellar." Ji-won let out a bright, ringing laugh that echoed through the quiet tea salon. He picked up his cup, taking a sip of the warm, sweet chamomile. For the first time since returning to Seoul, Ji-won felt completely in control of his own heart—and ready for whatever game Lu Sheng wanted to play next.

Chapter 28