Contract Marriage with a Male Friend - Chapter 69

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#69

The next morning.
An Soo Yi, who had spent the night barely closing her eyes, gazed at the potted plant by the window and exhaled a long sigh.
“Hah…….”
It was seven o’clock.
Her eyes opened at the time she’d always prepared for work, a habit worn deep into her body.
Even when she tried closing her eyes to sleep longer, no drowsiness would come.
“I suppose I submitted that resignation without thinking it through.”
She murmured the words softly to the plant, which listened in silent company.
“But I couldn’t have gone back to that company.”
The place that destroyed Father.
That tore our family apart.
Muttering quietly, An Soo Yi pressed her palm against her chest where the cold crept in.
Thinking of Kim Ji Seop, the secretary, and the team members of the New Business Division who had only just begun working smoothly together, her heart grew heavy once more.
‘Everyone will be so confused.’
Their team leader had submitted a resignation and vanished overnight.
Of course, Kim Ji Seop was capable enough to understand her intentions and handle the aftermath, but there was more than one thing weighing on her mind.
‘I modified so many parts of the proposal on my own whim…… I’m not sure if everything will proceed without problems.’
Then An Soo Yi shook her head firmly.
Who was she to worry about anyone now.
Kangho Group wasn’t a place that would crumble just because one team leader was gone.
With that thought, she headed to the kitchen.
She planned to grab something to eat, however hastily, and then clean the house.
The apartment had been empty for so long that dust lay thick across every surface, and the furniture had faded to a pale, ghostly white.
‘……I thought he’d take good care of it while I was away.’
Bum Jin was the kind of person meticulous to the point of obsession when it came to matters concerning An Soo Yi.
So she had believed that after their contract ended, he would maintain this small house carefully, whenever she might return.
But instead of care, the place was in a state altogether unfit for anyone to live in.
Why would that careful man leave something like this completely untouched?
As if…… she would never return to this place again.
An Soo Yi recalled the light in Bum Jin’s eyes from last night, gazing at her with such longing.

“I love you, An Soo Yi. I love you.”
“Become my real wife. I want to be by your side forever and ever, until death.”
“I’ll choose you anytime. No matter what I have to give up.”
“I’ll wait. Until you come back.”

An Soo Yi herself knew well that his desperate confession was no light lie meant to hold her back.
There was no reason it would be.
He was a man in a remarkable position as a leading candidate for the Next Heir of Kangho Group—a man with no intention, by his own admission, of ever moving to his family’s tune. He had no reason to squander time with acting.
“……Maybe I should go see the Chairman and the Team Lead.”
But that would require waiting until work hours ended.
If Team Lead O was overseeing a funeral, there was no knowing when his schedule would clear.
“It’s not like the two of them would happen to pass by our house right now.”
Such a miracle could never happen.
It was just as she was muttering this.
Ding-dong—
A message notification chimed clearly, perfectly timed.
An Soo Yi’s eyes widened as she checked the screen.
“That can’t be…….”
[An, how have you been? The funeral arrangements for Team Lead O wrapped up early this morning, and as I was bringing him back, I happened to pass near your house. Thought of you and decided to reach out.]
Without hesitation, she pressed the call button.
The other person answered before the dial tone could even ring.
— An? I thought you’d be busy getting ready for work at this hour, but you picked up right away?
“Chairman, where are you right now?”
— I was just about to turn the car around at the alley entrance. I was passing by and felt so glad to see you I sent that message despite knowing it’s an awful hour—
“Don’t go! Come inside right now!”
— Huh? Come inside? Where?
“I’m at my original place! Turn the car around and come here!”
Pyo Yeon Soo, sounding just as taken aback as An Soo Yi, murmured his agreement.
Not long after, the familiar sound of an engine echoed from outside the yard.
An Soo Yi hurried out through the front door, where Pyo Yeon Soo and O Sang Chul stepped out of the car, both looking bewildered.
“An? Why are you here instead of at the office at this hour?”
“Chairman, Team Lead! Please, come inside quickly.”
The two men entered the house as if drawn in by her urgency.
“I was actually just thinking about the two of you. I was hoping you might happen to pass by our house by chance.”
“Really? Is that true?”
“Ah, An. You’re just saying that so we don’t feel awkward, aren’t you?”
“No, sir. I’m being completely honest. It’s not a lie.”
The two men smiled broadly, marveling at the remarkable coincidence she described.
Then, settling into their seats, O Sang Chul asked with curiosity.
“But what’s going on? Did you have some business nearby? It doesn’t look like you were preparing for work.”
“Ah…… well…….”
An Soo Yi’s words caught in her throat.
These two were people she could trust more than anyone in the world.
But still, the one she had made an enemy of was Kangho Group—a massive organization.
A careless word from her could spark trouble that would spread to these two innocent people as serious harm.
“An. What is it? You don’t look well.”
Pyo Yeon Soo asked with concern, and O Sang Chul added to his words.
“Come on, tell us if something’s troubling you. We might not be able to solve it, but sometimes just having someone listen can ease your heart.”
An Soo Yi felt warmth bloom in her chest at the caring light in both their eyes, and she smiled.
“It’s just that my husband’s been traveling on business a lot lately. I’ve been spending more time alone, so I’ve gotten a little lonely, I think.”
“His business trips have gotten longer?”
“Yes, he’s been quite busy. I have time on my hands by contrast, so I took some days off. And then I got your message, and I was so glad I reached out right away.”
Pyo Yeon Soo and O Sang Chul exchanged a glance with each other, then turned their heads back toward her.
“Your husband’s family is a formidable place, so I know it must be hard, but don’t forget—we’re here for you.”
“Chairman…….”
“That’s right. Whenever you feel frustrated, call us. That’s what family is, after all.”
An Soo Yi’s heart swelled.
At the knowledge that she wasn’t completely alone, the hollow depths of her heart filled with warmth.
“By the way, I was meaning to contact you anyway.”
“What is it, sir?”
“It seems we’ve found your father.”
An Soo Yi’s eyes flew wide open.
“Really? How did you…… how did you find out?”
“There was a funeral near Namhae not long ago. I didn’t organize it myself—I attended because an old acquaintance had passed. But…….”
O Sang Chul swallowed hard and continued carefully.
“I heard someone call out ‘An Dong Jin’ to a man sitting alone in a corner of the funeral hall. I thought I might have misheard, so I looked carefully…… and he looked very much like you.”
An Soo Yi’s heart pounded heavily in her chest.
She recalled her recent call with Bong Sung Tae.

— Master, the man presumed to be your father is currently whereabouts unknown. The last place his trace was found was Namhae—that’s all we could determine.

Father.
It had to be him—her father, whose trail had gone cold after Namhae.
“……It’s Father. It must be him.”
An Soo Yi grasped at O Sang Chul urgently, her face drained of color.
“Do you know where Father is now?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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