Divorce in Bed Chapter 36

“No. No way. I’m getting up there. I—I’m going to lie down.”

Yeohwi quickly scrambled into the inner side of the bed, fearing Dowon might change his mind. At the rustling presence of someone moving beside him, Dowon turned away. They remained at a precarious distance, as far apart as the opposite ends of the bed allowed.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“Even a five-year-old doesn’t throw tantrums like you do. Have some shame.”

It was a clear rebuke, but to Yeohwi’s ears, it sounded more welcoming than any sweet words.

He gave in. He accepted my stubbornness, my feelings.

Even while sobbing, Yeohwi felt the corners of his mouth rising uncontrollably.

“…Hehe.”

“Don’t laugh. It’s annoying.”

Dowon reached out and turned off the bedside lamp that had been left on.

The room was submerged in darkness. Only the moonlight from outside faintly illuminated their outlines.

Yeohwi caught his breath for a moment following his unbelievable victory before turning over to face Dowon. Dowon was right there. This time, they were truly in one bed together.

He could see Dowon’s firm shoulders exposed above the duvet. It was a distance he could reach if he just stretched out his hand.

Watching that back in silence, Yeohwi began to creep closer. He didn’t know what he was thinking. He just felt it was now or never, and his body acted instinctively without further thought.

A little closer. Just a little more.

Closing the distance on the spacious king-sized bed, Yeohwi cautiously reached out. He wrapped his arms tightly around Dowon’s waist and buried his face in that solid back.

It was warm. It was much hotter than what he had felt in his dreams, and it had a definite substance. It was the warmth of a living person.

Dowon’s back went stiff.

“Move. It’s hot.”

“Huu…”

Yeohwi pretended not to hear, making sobbing sounds as he hugged him even tighter. He rubbed his face against the defined back muscles, snuggling in until they were completely flush.

“Mister Dowon, you smell good…”

“You… where did a guy this big learn to pull these tricks…”

Dowon twisted his body, trying to pry Yeohwi’s arms off. But Yeohwi clung like a leech and wouldn’t let go. He leaned and relied entirely on Dowon, putting his weight into his relaxed body. Every time he rubbed his head against him, the scent of soap and shampoo from a fresh shower wafted off Seong Yeohwi.

“…Fuck.”

A low curse scattered into the darkness.

Dowon shut his eyes tight before opening them again.

Then, he glared at the ceiling with eyes so incensed the whites were showing.

But in the end, he did not push Yeohwi away.

Finally giving up, Dowon lowered his arms and relaxed his strength.

A hot, large, luggage-like mass stuck to his back. It felt exactly like dealing with a massive young beast that didn’t understand words.

‧₊˚🍊༉‧₊˚.

The fake honeymoon spent in Zurich passed by like an arrow.

Publicly, it was the glamorous and loud honeymoon of a chaebol family that set the world abuzz, but in reality, it was no different from a dogfight beneath the surface where all sorts of combat took place.

Beyond the taut war of nerves between Dowon and Yeohwi, the elaborate financial operation they had planned also progressed secretly, step by step.

After many twists and turns, Yeohwi succeeded in liquidating a vast amount of funds using his entire inheritance as collateral, and with that capital, he established the ‘ONE Fund’, an untraceable offshore fund.

And just before returning home, he purchased all the non-performing loans of ‘Stone’, the paper company Do Jingyu used for money laundering, under the name of the ONE Fund.

With this, they held Do Jingyu’s throat perfectly in their hands.

All preparations were complete. Now it was time to wield the sharply whetted blade.

Rumble. The massive tires scraped the asphalt of the runway, making a loud frictional sound.

The KD Group private jet, having finished its long twelve-hour flight, came to a halt at the private terminal of Incheon International Airport.

As the hatch opened, the smoky and dry wind of Seoul rushed in—different from the air they had tasted in Switzerland. The season had already crossed into mid-autumn. It was a time when the wind digging into one’s collar became quite sharp.

Descending the stairs, Dowon stopped in front of a waiting black sedan. Yeohwi, following behind him, also stopped with a tense expression.

The sweet and bitter memories of the honeymoon, which had gone through so many ups and turns, evaporated the moment the plane door opened. Now it was the hour for a thorough attack. The dark grey sky, looking as if it might pour rain at any moment, seemed to announce the prelude to the coming war.

“It’s going to be noisy for a while. You go home and wait.”

Dowon commanded Yeohwi curtly. His touch as he straightened his tie was somehow solemn. His gaze had already sunk, as if he were standing on a battlefield.

“Don’t move until the pig falls into the trap and screams.”

“…I understand.”

Yeohwi nodded calmly. Everything he could do was finished. Now it was Dowon’s turn to go and swing the weapon.

“Don’t overdo it, though.”

Yeohwi added softly. Then, he fidgeted with the edge of his trench coat sleeve hesitantly.

“Um, Mister Dowon.”

After a moment of hesitation, Yeohwi held up his wrist. The Patek Philippe watch they had bought at the airport as a honeymoon excuse shone subtly.

“I have a favor… can I not take this off?”

“…”

“It’s expensive. It’s a waste to just wear it once. While we’re away from each other, I think I’ll feel less anxious and better if we’re connected like this… is that okay?”

As Yeohwi wheedled while watching his reaction, the space between Dowon’s brows narrowed pointedly. He wasn’t the type to show his emotions so easily before, but lately, Dowon had been making them blatantly obvious. At this rate, it felt like he might get wrinkles on his forehead.

“Why do you want so much?”

Dowon spoke as if rebuking him, and without even giving an answer, he pushed Yeohwi’s back, telling him to just go.

“Go. No more talk.”

“I’m not taking it off. I’m going to think of Mister Dowon whenever I look at the watch.”

Yeohwi said stubbornly. Without a word of reply, Dowon turned and approached the waiting vehicle. Toward that heartless-looking back, Yeohwi cupped his hands and shouted.

“You know! I’m going to kiss the watch too. I’ll probably do it frequently whenever I think of Mister Dowon!”

“…”

“Anyway, I’ll be waiting! I’ll text you, so please reply. Contact me, for sure!”

Without looking back, Dowon coldly got into the vehicle headed for headquarters with his attendants. Yeohwi took a separate car that came to pick him up and headed for the mansion.

The two cars moved apart at the fork in the road without lingering, heading toward their respective battlefields.

‧₊˚🍊༉‧₊˚.

KD Group Headquarters, 30th floor, Large Conference Room.

When Dowon opened the conference room door and entered, the lawyers specializing in corporate disputes under the legal team and core personnel from the finance team, who were already waiting, stood up in unison.

“Sit down.”

Dowon sat at the head of the table, took off his jacket, and hung it on his chair. A secretary immediately set up a tablet and payment documents in front of him.

Dowon rolled up his shirt sleeves and scanned the room with sharp eyes.

“Let’s begin. Starting with the Taesung Logistics matter.”

The head of the legal team brought up the screen and began reporting.

“Yes. As per your instructions, this morning we simultaneously filed an injunction for the inspection and copying of accounting books and an injunction to prohibit dividend payments against Taesung Logistics at the Seoul Central District Court.”

“Media response?”

“We coordinated with the PR team to lift the embargo. By tomorrow, articles will appear on the portal mains. The keywords are the owner family’s pursuit of private interests and the dividend feast of unlisted subsidiaries.”

Dowon nodded. Strength was visible in the joints of his fingers as he rolled a fountain pen.

“However, Director, there are concerns.”

the senior lawyer of the legal team spoke up cautiously. The air in the conference room grew heavy.

“If we blow the whistle on internal corruption on such a large scale, a blow to the overall external credibility of the KD Group is inevitable. Not only will the stock price plummet due to owner risk, but we may also face a backlash in public opinion.”

He paused for a moment before adding.

“Most of all, the Chairman is ill. If the succession dispute turns into a mud-slinging fight, the entire group could be shaken. Wouldn’t this be like burning down the whole house to catch a few bedbugs?”

Tuk. Dowon closed the cap of the fountain pen he was holding and set it down lightly on the table.

It wasn’t a loud sound, but it was enough to instantly silence the noise in the conference room.

Dowon leaned back comfortably against the chair and stared at the lawyer over his interlaced hands.

“Counsel, the market dislikes uncertainty more than bad news.”

His gaze was calm yet terrifyingly sharp.