Chapter 74
Haemin's POV
I rubbed my face once more, making sure no trace of tears remained. My breathing felt steady again, and my mind was strangely clear. Whatever had happened was already over. There was no point dwelling on it anymore.
I stepped out of the lounge and took the elevator down to the lobby. When the doors opened, the bright lights of the lobby felt sharp against my eyes.
As I crossed the space, I noticed several men, and even some women turning their heads toward something. Their expressions were a mix of surprise and awe.
"Who is that?" someone whispered.
"Is she a model?"
"She's insanely gorgeous." Another voice murmured.
"No way, she has to be a celebrity."
"I've never seen someone like that here before…"
Curiosity tugged at me, so I followed their gaze. My steps came to an abrupt stop when I saw who they were all staring at.
It turns out they were looking at someone in private section of the lobby. But… isn't that Attorney Park? I thought he had already left. And… someone was sitting across from him. Wait. Was that Sera? Sera's here? When did she even arrive?
She sat elegantly on the sofa, one leg crossed, her elbow resting casually on the armrest as she listened to Attorney Park. She looked completely unfazed by all the attention in the lobby.
Well… that's Sera for you.
Then a sudden thought hit me. I glanced around instinctively, worried Yuna might still be here. The idea of Yuna and Sera crossing paths in this place sent a chill through me. Thankfully, there was no sign of her. She must have already left. I exhaled in relief.
Sera's expression was cold as she listened to Attorney Park. I wondered how long she had been here. Judging by her suit, she probably came straight from her office.
Did she come here to see Attorney Park? Before I could think further, Sera's eyes met mine.
The moment she saw me, her expression hardens. Her brows tightening as though she were already upset with me for some reason. My stomach dropped.
She lifted her finger, signalling for me to come over. I felt uneasy, worried that I might have done something wrong without realizing it. Still, I stepped toward them.
When I reached the sofa, Attorney Park looked up at me with a worried, almost pitying expression that made my chest feel tight.
"Take a seat," Sera said, motioning to the spot beside Attorney Park.
I sat down quietly, feeling tense, my hands clasped together. Sera kept her eyes fixed on me, her expression cold and hard to read, but the tightness in her jaw and the way her brows drew together showed she was holding back her anger.
The silence stretched, heavy and uncomfortable.
I cleared my throat, trying to break the tension, though I had no idea what was going on.
"Thank you for your help today, Sera. I really appreciate it."
Sera didn't answer, her gaze fixed on me with that cold expression.
"Explain yourself, Haemin."
"Excuse me?" I asked, confused.
"I've heard everything from Mr. Park. Seriously, what were you thinking? When I sent him to you, I expected you to press the case fully, not end it with only a divorce. That's not what I intended."
"Ms. Hwang, please," Attorney Park gently stepped in, trying to ease the tension. "Mr. Kim has been through a lot today. We should consider—"
"Silence, Mr. Park." Sera said, her eyes fixed on me, unwavering.
"S-Sera, aren't you being rude to—""
"Hey, Haemin," she cut me off again. "Answer me. Why did you do that?"
I swallowed hard, feeling my chest tighten. Sera was completely serious now. There was no trace of her usual calm.
"W-well, There's no need to drag this any longer, right? Since Yuna already agreed to sign it, I don't want to push it further."
Sera's expression froze, clearly stunned by my answer.
"Just because of that?" She asked.
I couldn't say anything. I just sat there in silence, unable to response.
Sera let out a low, bitter chuckle.
"This is really irritating," she muttered under her breath, but I heard every word clearly.
"I should have known you'd be soft-hearted in the end, Haemin."
Her eyes locked onto mine again. "If I'd known this would happen, I should have come with you from the beginning."
I could only lower my gaze, unable to look back at her.
"Ms. Hwang," Attorney Park stepped in again gently.
"Forgive me for interfering, but I think it's best not to pressure Mr. Kim any further. If Ms. Seo tries anything that might harm Mr. Kim in the future, he can still take legal action afterward. There's no need to rush or force anything now."
Sera fell silent. Her eyes narrowed slightly, as if she was thinking deeply about something. After a few moment, she let out a soft exhale, though the tension in her expression did not loosen at all.
"…You can go now, Mr. Park."
Attorney Park nodded respectfully. He stood up from his seat, then turned to me with a smile before bowing politely to both of us. Without another word, he quietly gathered his things and quietly left the lobby.
The moment he was gone, the air turned heavy again. Sera didn't say anything. She just stared at me, eyes cold, as if there was still something about me she wasn't satisfied with.
Actually, I wanted to thank her properly. She had helped me so much these past few days. I also wanted to ask how she had known I'd be here. But seeing her like this, I didn't know how to open my mouth.
After a long moment, Sera clicked her tongue in irritation.
"Let's go," she said flatly as she stood up. "I'll take you home."
"I-it's okay, Sera. You don't need to worry about me. I can just take a—"
Her eyes cut sharply toward me before I could finish the sentence. The look alone was enough to silence me completely.
"…o-okay."
I muttered, then quickly stood up and followed Sera. Every pair of eyes in the lobby seemed to turn toward me now. I could only let out a soft sigh.
I trailed behind her to the car parked in the VIP section near the entrance. As expected, the attention followed us again. Well… kind of impossible to ignore when she drove a Porsche.
Sera, as usual, didn't seem to care at all. She simply opened the door and got in. I followed quietly, and without a word, we drove away from the hotel.
The ride was painfully quiet and Sera was still in a bad mood. I stole a glance at her, her eyes were fixed sharply on the road.
I wanted to say something to break the silence, but I was afraid that if I said the wrong thing, I might only make her angrier. I never knew Sera had this kind of temper. Well, I had seen the glimpses of it when we were at the hospital, but this felt different. Fortunately, it wasn't nearly as terrifying as Yuna's.
I just hoped we would arrive soon.
After about twenty minutes, the car slowed to a stop near the roadside in front of my apartment building. Silence followed again. I noticed her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.
A nervous feeling crept into my chest.
I was worried she was going to scold me again.
But after a few seconds, I saw her loosen her grip on the wheel. She let out a slow breath, as if she was trying to calm herself down and then closed her eyes for a brief moment.
"…I'm sorry."
I blinked, caught off guard. "Sera?"
She let out a soft sigh. "I shouldn't have been so hard on you earlier. I was frustrated, but that wasn't an excuse. You've already gone through enough today, and I wasn't considerate of your feelings. I'm sorry, Haemin."
"N-no, it's okay," I said quickly, shaking my head. "I understand why you were angry. You were just trying to help me. I… I appreciate that more than you think. Really. And I'm sorry for disappointing you."
Sera turned her head slightly, finally looking at me. Her expression was still serious, but calmer now.
"You didn't disappoint me, Haemin," she said firmly. "I was just worried. It kills me to see you still being kind to Yuna after everything she has put you through. And today too—"
Sera stopped herself abruptly, looking down as she bit her lip. She leaned back slightly, as if afraid that saying any more would let her frustration spill over again.
"W-well… you see, I just don't want to make things complicated again. It's too exhausting. And everything's already over. I don't want to think about it anymore. I can move on now… and it's all thanks to you, Sera."
I smiled gently.
Sera's expression softened once more as her eyes met mine.
"…Have dinner with me tonight."
"…sorry?"
"You heard me." Her tone was calm but firm, leaving no room for refusal. "Have dinner with me tonight"
I hesitated for a moment. This should be fine… right?
"O-okay," I muttered, almost in a whisper.
A gentle smile tugged at the corners of her lips upon hearing that.
"I've got a quick matter to handle at the office first," she said, checking her watch briefly. "I'll come pick you up at seven."
I nodded quietly. "Okay."
I reached for the door handle, opening it slowly.
"Drive safely, alright." I said softly, looking back at her.
Sera's smile deepened just a little. "See you tonight."
I smiled back and stepped out of the car. The door closed behind me with a light click. I stood there for a moment, watching as she looked at me through the window, her eyes lingering on mine for a few more second before pulling away from the curb and driving off.