6/5/2015

Don’t Let it Burn

“That wife would be you.”

Her father’s words echoed in Dara’s mind as she sat at home. Jiyong wanted to marry her?

But she thought he hated her?

And then she remembered the rest of her father’s conversation. “Even if you don’t marry him, he will give back everything to you. Either upon his death, or upon your request. He’s willing to take on the company and run it for you on your behalf whether or not you marry him, Sandara. But he’s made it clear to me that he wants to marry you.”

At first Dara wanted to argue that the only reason he wanted to marry her was because of the company, the power and the wealth. But that wasn’t true because he was being given a chance to have run the company, have power and wealth without marrying her. But he wanted to marry her.

God, the thought was mind-boggling. And quite truthfully it filled her stomach with butterflies such as she’d never felt before.

Kwon Jiyong wanted to marry her.

Oh my god.

Her heart raced at the thought. And that scared her as well.

She hated Kwon Jiyong, right? Right?!

Then why was her stomach so nervous at the thought of him now? And why couldn’t she get her mind off of him?

Dara shook her head. No! No-no-no-no-no!!

“Oh my god,” she groaned, and covered her head with a pillow. “I can’t handle this right now.”

*

With the exception of the part revolving around marriage to Kwon Jiyong, Dara did relent and give in to her father’s plea to make some changes in her life.

She started with the decision to move back home once the month was over.  Meanwhile she agreed to a security detail being stationed round the clock for her. There were always two guards in the black suv that parked across from her building. They were also her driver and accompaniment when she needed to go somewhere.

Second, and this one she had a hard time with, was she gave up her job at Yong Su San. She chose to think of it in these terms – she was taking a position that could be filled with someone else who really needed that job. And so with sorrow in her heart she said goodbye

Third, she added on a minor in business in her studies. As her father’s daughter and only child, she had a responsibility to be knowledgeable enough about business to keep an eye on what her father had spent many years building up and in protecting the interests of all of the families that relied on the continued success of the Park Group.

Lastly, she agreed to take a non-paying position in her father’s company. She was given access to all information so that she could learn as much as she could. And wouldn’t you know it? The person her father assigned her to work directly with was none other than Kwon Jiyong.

“It only makes sense, Sandara. If you decide not to take the helm, he’ll be the one to do it. You should learn to work with him now,” her father advised.

The day before her birthday Dara had dinner with her father. This time at home. Like the other times she was together with him the two spent a lot of time talking. And then just before dessert, the doorbell rang. One of the maids went to answer it while Dara and her father sat at the table talking when Jiyong entered. He apologized for interrupting but explained he needed Sanjin’s attention on this matter asap.

Dara tensed as she stared at him. He hadn’t looked her way, for which she was grateful. He must have just come from the office. He was still wearing his work clothes and Dara had to admit he looked handsome. But he also looked tired. There were shadows under his eyes.

“Have a seat,” Sanjin said to him. Jiyong hesitated. Only then did his eyes go to Dara, as if wondering if she were okay with his presence there.

“I’ll leave you two to talk,” Dara said, but Sanjin stopped her.

“You need to listen in on this too Sandara. It’ll be a good learning experience.”

Dara nodded, and settled back down. Jiyong also sat down. He took the seat across from Dara and to the left of her father. Jiyong began apprising her father of a situation that had occurred at one of their plants. She watched as her father listened intently. Then he asked Jiyong for his opinion on a solution. Jiyong gave it without hesitation.

“I agree,” Sanjin said, concurring with Jiyong’s decision. “Do it.”

Jiyong pulled out his phone and placed a call. He gave a few short orders and then hung up. “I’ll keep you informed of any other developments,” Jiyong said, and was about to leave.

Dara was going to watch him leave, relieved that his business with her father was over. She was shocked then when she heard herself ask Jiyong, “Have you had dinner yet?”

Both her father and Jiyong seemed surprised by her question. But Dara was thinking of those nights he had come to the restaurant and ate alone. Had he come there to see her, she wondered? Would he go home to eat alone if he didn’t eat here?

“We’ve just cleared the dinner plates,” she said to him. “Mrs. Ko can make you a plate and you can join us while we have dessert.”

He stared at her and Dara felt the heat of it down to her toes. Mamma Mia… What the hell was she doing?!

“I’d like that,” he said, and Dara felt a wave of warmth spread through her. She hoped her cheeks weren’t red. To cover she turned and asked one of the maids to please see to Jiyong’s dinner. She didn’t need to look at her father to know that he was probably grinning like a loon at her. But to Sanjin’s credit, when Dara did finally look, her father merely sipped his coffee as if she hadn’t just defied every protest she’d made about having anything to do with Kwon Jiyong.

‘Oh my god… what the hell am I doing…’

Dara picked up her coffee and sipped. And then – gosh dangit! Her father excused himself to go to the bathroom.

He did that on purpose. She just knows he did! Oh, he was so going to get it from her later…

After Sanjin left, an awkward silence filled the space. Jiyong was the one that ended it.

“You quit your job.”

It wasn’t a question but rather a statement.

Dara nodded. “I did.”

A little smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. “I went to dinner there last night and your friend Bom told me.”

“You went to Yong Su San again?” Dara asked, incredulously. That would have made 4 times in little over a week. “You must really like the food there.”

“I went because you were there,” he said quietly.

**

Cira: Okay mabe I need a little bit more than the two chapters to fulfill my daragon obsession. :)