by Nadia Lee
“You have?” She squeals and stares up at me, her eyes wide and eager.
“Yes. I wanted to let you know Aiden Hill has started handling medical malpractice cases.”
Her smile loses some of its brightness.
“I told him,” I continue, “that you’d be a perfect first client.”
Her hands fly toward her face and cover her nose.
“You want his number?”
“No!” She spins around and starts running.
I start to laugh as she totters away on her heels. “What’s so funny?” asks Benedict.
“Nothing.” He won’t get the joke. But I’m going to tell Yuna. “Anyway, dig more into Yuna’s dad’s preferences and text me.”
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Declan
When Yuna and I land in Seoul, it’s a madhouse. Her parents send two black Mercedes and a huge black SUV for our things. Well, mainly Yuna’s things, because she shopped until she and her people couldn’t carry any more stuff.
A woman in a black skirt suit introduces herself as Ms. Go and welcomes us to Korea. She says I’m to stay at the primary residence—where Yuna’s parents live—and Yuna’s going to her condo in Gangnam. I want to object, but I keep my mouth shut because I understand where her parents are coming from. If I had a daughter as beautiful as Yuna, I wouldn’t want some bastard around her without a shotgun-wielding chaperone.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Yuna smiles at Ms. Go. “I’m going to be staying at the primary residence too. I so miss my mom and dad.”
“As you wish, Ms. Hae,” Ms. Go says before turning to a couple of men in black suits who came with her and instructing them in Korean.
Ms. Go and her people take the first car. Yuna and I take the second, with Mr. Choi driving and Ms. Kim sitting in the passenger seat. The SUV follows.
“Thank you for not abandoning me to your father’s tender mercies,” I whisper into Yuna’s ear.
“You’re welcome. I don’t want any accidental incidents.”
“What do you mean?” Am I going to get poisoned? Shot and buried in the backyard?
She whispers, “When my dad met my first boyfriend in junior high, he ‘accidentally’ dropped a knife on him.”
“That’s not too bad… Shoes would’ve absorbed most of the impact.”
“We don’t wear shoes in the house in Korea, remember?”
“Oh…right.” I wince.
“It happened in the kitchen. It was a sizable butcher knife.”
Ouch. “I take it back.”
“Thankfully, nobody was hurt, but the relationship didn’t go very far.” She pats my hand. “But we should be okay.”
I’m still a bit nervous about meeting her parents, who I know don’t approve of me. But I decide to take Yuna’s word for it and relax.
The drive is fairly long. The airport is about an hour from Seoul. The cars cut through a quiet residential area. Finally, we go past a huge concrete wall and thick gates shut behind us.
An enormous Asian-style garden with a pine tree and pale flowers stretches out in front of us. Yuna and I climb out of the car and walk past a pond filled with colorful carp.
We enter the main wing. Yuna takes off her shoes and puts on slippers that have been laid out. I do the same, while noting the slippers are soft. Not much protection against dropped knives.
Lady Min comes out, dressed impeccably. I don’t think she owns a single comfy house dress. She says something in Korean and puts her hands on Yuna’s arms warmly. Then she says, “Welcome,” to me in English in that perfectly polite tone.
“Thank you for having me,” I say with a warm, friendly smile. Yuna told me to smile all the time because nobody can spit in the face of a man who smiles. Apparently, it’s a Korean saying.
A man with hair graying at the temples comes out. He’s in a suit, minus the jacket.
Yuna says something to him in Korean in an extra-cheery tone and hugs him.
He laughs and hugs her back. His humor dims significantly when he notices me. I can see it in his eyes: Oh, you’re that American.
“Declan Winters. I’m thrilled to meet you, sir,” I say with an unfaltering smile. Hopefully, smiles prevent knives as well.
“I’m Yuna’s father. You can call me Mr. Hae.” No smile.
Yuna elbows him on the side gently and says something chiding. He scoffs, then pinches her cheek affectionately.
“Dinner’s ready,” Lady Min says.
“Where’s Eugene?” Yuna says.
“Ms. Hong called. His meeting’s running late.”
Yuna links her arm with mine. Her dad glances at that and gives me a death glare. I smile harder and keep my arm linked with hers.
“We’ve prepared a homey Korean meal, nothing special,” Lady Min says. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“I’m sure it will be delicious,” I say.
We reach the dining room. I blink a few times. This is what passes for a homey Korean meal?
The table is large enough to seat eight. Every square inch is covered with food, from soup to vegetable dishes to fish and meat. Some are braised, some are grilled and some are roasted.
“Mom, how did you know I was in the mood for the beef and radish soup? And my favorite grilled fish!” Yuna says, looking at her mother like she’s Joan of Arc.
Lady Min laughs a little. “They’re actually gifts from Mr. Jang. We saved them for you.”
I lean toward Yuna and lower my voice. “You give people fish in Korea?”
“Well, yeah. Why not?”
“Well…” I can’t think of a reason, but fish…?
“It’s salted and dried,” Yuna explains. “When you grill it, it’s quite good.”
We sit down, Yuna’s father at the head of the table, Yuna’s mom to his right. Yuna takes the seat to his left, and I sit next to her.
As we eat, I notice Yuna’s mom and dad picking up items from dishes and putting them on Yuna’s rice. She smiles, then returns the gesture for her dad, especially with the braised fish.
She does it for me, too, with a meat dish.
“Thanks,” I say, surprised. “Am I supposed to do it for you?”
“You don’t have to…although you could if you want,” she says.
So I pick up some spinach for her because she seemed to like it when we had Korean food in Los Angeles.
The hair on the back of my neck bristles, and I look up to see her dad giving me a laser-glare of doom. I immediately smile. “Would you like some, too?”
“No. I don’t like spinach.”
Getting his blessing is going to be harder than getting my first acting role.
Chapter Sixty
Declan
I turn over, turn over again, then turn a third time. I beat the pillow, then smooth the thing out because I don’t want Yuna’s parents to think I have something against their pillows. Although given the number of household staff I’ve seen, I doubt her mother and father handle the pillows themselves. But a housekeeper could always report.
I check the time. Three a.m.
I’m so jet-lagged.
But it’s more than that. I can’t possibly relax when my bedroom is in the same hallway as Yuna’s parents’. Yuna’s sleeping in a room in another complex within the compound. Apparently there are a few detached units within the residence, one for her brother Eugene and one for her.
I stare at the ceiling. Eugene arrived at the end of the meal and barely said hello. He sat next to me over tea and muttered, “If you hurt my sister, I’ll have you killed.”
Nice to meet you too, man. Nice to meet you too.
Maybe the exorbitant hostility is the reason I can’t sleep. I’m sleeping among people, except for Yuna, who want me dead. Or at least become impotent from the way they hover over her protectively.
Finally, I sigh and get up. Four fifteen. Great.
To work off my excessive energy, I go out into the hallway, which is dark. But there are lights on downstairs.
&
nbsp; I go down and see Yuna’s dad reading the newspaper in a leather armchair. He’s in pajamas and sipping hot tea.
Shit. I start to back away. No need to disturb a man who probably wants to murder me already anyway.
“You can come sit down,” he says without looking up.
No escape. “Yes, sir.”
I sit on a sectional near him. I should’ve just stayed in my room and done jumping jacks if I wanted to burn off energy. This is too damn awkward. At least he isn’t holding a knife. He could always throw the teacup, but I can probably survive that.
He puts down his papers. “Jet lag?”
“A little.” I smile, remembering what Yuna told me. “And thinking.”
“About what?”
Maybe it’s the reasonable tone of voice or maybe it’s the lack of caffeine, but blunt honesty seems like a great idea, as long as I keep on smiling. “About how I should go about asking for Yuna’s hand in marriage.”
“Does it matter what my wife and I think?”
I heard a rebuke there. “Of course. Family is important to Yuna, and that makes all of you important to me as well.”
“Yuna’s our baby. Even when she’s a hundred years old, she’s still going to be my little baby girl, my greatest treasure. And you’re a thief, trying to steal her from us.” His chin trembles a little, and he tightens his jaw. “It’s bad enough she has to marry, but to marry an American…” He shakes his head. “And not just any American, but one who smiles like an imbecile and lives in America! Half the world away.” He speaks like America is in another galaxy and it’s all my fault.
I stop smiling. Maybe Yuna’s wrong about it being helpful. I should tell her dad what’s in my heart, rather than trying to force him into liking me. “The groom candidates she was given don’t love her.”
“So?”
“I do. And—”
He scoffs. “You missed her birthday party.”
Guess his wife wasted no time telling him. “And I learned a Chopin waltz for her because that’s what it took to prove myself to Yuna.”
His mouth stays in a hard, flat line, but his eyes relax slightly.
I meet and hold his gaze. “Sir, I can’t promise I’ll be perfect. God knows I’m not. But every time Yuna’s sad or unhappy, part of my heart shrivels and dies. Every time she smiles, I feel like I’m king of the universe. I promise you I’ll make it my life’s mission to make her happy and treat her like the queen she is.”
He exhales roughly. “You are serious.”
“Yes, sir. I think she deserves that much from a man who wants to marry her.”
“I’ll be watching you.”
“I wouldn’t expect any less.” I’ve seen how protective her mom is. Mr. Choi and Ms. Kim might become part of the family, too.
“If you hurt her…”
“You can throw a butcher knife at me. I’ll stay very still.”
Shock and something else I can’t put my finger on cross his face. After a beat, he clears his throat. “I’m too old for that. I’ll have my assistant do it.”
A corner of my mouth lifts. “Of course, sir.”
He regards me for another moment. “You may call me Father or Dad, whichever is easier.”
I go still as something hot knots in my throat. I haven’t had a father in years. Phillip certainly wasn’t a dad…more like a sperm donor. I have a feeling that this isn’t just about tolerating me, but actually accepting me into the fold. “Thank you, sir.”
He raises an eyebrow.
“Dad,” I correct myself. “You won’t regret it.”
“I better not. So when and where is the wedding?”
I hesitate for a second. I haven’t thought quite that far. “I think it’s best I leave that up to Yuna and your wife.”
He nods. “Smart man.” He goes back to his newspaper.
Chapter Sixty-One
Yuna
I yawn a little. The first day back from the States is always the hardest for my body to adjust. But I get up early enough to go over to the wing where Eugene is staying, so I can say hello before he leaves for work. He and I didn’t get to say anything yesterday, and I just want to make sure he’s fine, especially since it’s the first time I’m seeing him face to face since his marriage ended.
“I thought you’d be with your…guy,” Eugene says, as though the idea is disgusting.
I roll my eyes. “You mean my boyfriend? It’s okay to say it.”
“It’s not okay. You’re my sister.”
“Exactly. Your sister, not a nun.”
He makes a face. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that, because otherwise I’m going to want to shut you away in a convent.” Then he grows serious. “And before you ask, I’m fine. The divorce is going well, and I’m going to get everything I want out of it.”
“So…” I peer at him. “You aren’t bothered at all?”
“No. Our union was one of convenience. I find it distasteful that she lied, but that’s it.”
“I thought you might develop feelings for her after being together for so long.”
“It’s impossible to develop feelings for a woman I never cared about in the first place.”
She gave you a son, I think but don’t say. Minho wasn’t even Eugene’s son, even though we all believed him to be a Hae.
“If Declan upsets you, let me know. I’m always on your team, no matter what.”
My throat feels tight with a mix of emotions—affection and sorrow…and maybe a sense of helplessness that I can’t do anything for Eugene. “I will. And you’ll let me know if I can do anything for you, right? I’m on your side too.”
“I know. Us Haes need to stick together. And I really wanted to get you a husband I could easily control. That way he’d think twice before doing anything to upset you.” He picks up his coffee tumbler that the housekeeper set out. “I have to go. But we’ll chat more later. And I need to get that billboard removed. I can’t work with your…boyfriend grinning at me in his underwear.” He shudders as he walks off to his car, where his chauffeur stands holding the door open.
I burst out laughing.
I head out too, to go to the main house. I feel bad about leaving Declan there with my parents, but I know that trying to insist he stay in the same unit as me would earn me nothing but grief.
The air’s pretty cool, although slightly humid, especially compared to L.A. But it isn’t too bad for this time of year in Korea. Dad’s probably gone to the office by now as well. He and Eugene don’t carpool because they have totally different schedules.
The complex’s central courtyard is a playground that my grandparents and parents built for Eugene and me when we were born. I spot Declan sitting in a swing. Somehow he fits perfectly into one of the happiest places of my life. I take the empty swing next to him.
“Good morning,” I say.
“Morning.” He looks slightly tired, but seems fine otherwise. “You’re up early.”
“A very mild case of jet lag. Plus I like being home. I haven’t sat in this swing since forever.” I sigh softly. “And I just realized how happy this place makes me. This playground has nothing but the best memories from my early childhood.”
“Sort of a family thing?”
“I heard Grandpa put that jungle gym and this swing set in when Eugene was born. My parents installed the slide over there when I said I wanted one.” The slide is piano-themed, painted to look like black and white keys. “This was a magical place where we could dream of anything and everything we wanted.” I smile a little, lost in old memories. “I wish I’d known you back then.” I heard from Declan about what a terrible human being his biological father is. And Chantel… Well. She’s a bitch. “I would’ve invited you over, so you could’ve dreamed of something wonderful, too.”
Declan twists in his swing until we’re facing each other. Then he leans forward and kisses me, just a soft brushing of mouths. He pulls back and looks into my eyes. His gaze is bright and tender.
His words make my heart swell with a sweet, aching longing. I lay a hand over his cheek. “And you’re mine. You’re helping me lay happy adult memories on top of the ones I already have.”
He eases out of his swing and drops to one knee, then holds out a ring. The diamond winks under the early-morning sunlight. “Yuna… Will you marry me and share your future with me?”
Joy swells so hard and fast that I can’t speak. I nod as my vision blurs with unshed happy tears, and hold out my hand so he can put the ring on my finger and show the world we’re together.
The cool metal slides onto my finger easily. It fits perfectly.
And I hold and kiss the man who means everything to me.
Chapter Sixty-Two
Declan
–four weeks later
When I enter the house, the first thing I see is Yuna stretched out on a couch like a limp asparagus and looking at something on her phone. We returned to Los Angeles after spending two weeks in Korea, and since then, Yuna’s been busy planning our wedding. Her mom’s supervising from Korea, although I have a feeling Lady Min’s coming over soon.
Actually, I need to stop calling her that. Yuna’s mom isn’t happy with “Lady Min.” She says it’s rude if I’m calling her husband “Dad.” So I’m supposed to call her either Mother or Mom.
It’s just the weirdest feeling to get a totally new set of parents who look nothing like me but treat me like I’m their own child. Weird…but not unpleasant. More like…accepted. That’s the word.
“Honey, I’m home,” I call out, walking toward Yuna.
“Hey,” she says, putting down her phone.
“Is that an online catalogue your mom sent?”
“No. She doesn’t do online catalogues. Says it’s too hard to judge color. I was actually looking at the news.” She moves a little to make room for me, and I sit down and have her place her head in my lap. She sighs happily.
“What kind of news?” I ask.
“Ella and Chantel got arrested for embezzlement, just as they were about to go to the beach for the wedding.”