BOOK 1: The Heir Series; Choi Seungcheol

10: NOW

Tarvin shut her eyes tightly as she shoved away all those hurtful memories. She buried them to the deepest and darkest part of her mind. To the past – her history. She shouldn't stay reminded of it. Everything that she reminded of him – the pain he gave her, she threw it all away.

And besides, she long accepted that she was never important to that someone. So why would she treat him favorably when he didn't even bother knowing her worth before leaving her?

She sighed deeply again. Why does she always go back to the past?

She averted her attention to the people directly staring at her. She didn't know these people. She even didn't have the chance to meet most of these people before. Most of them are strangers to her.

It's part of the price she accepted to pay when she let herself fully enter this kind of life. Even if she's still not used to people knowing every single thing about her life, even if she didn't like the idea of being around too many people, she needs to deal with it all by herself, especially that she's now bringing with her the name that was known since before.

She was once then the simple girl who lives a fairy-tale lifestyle. She used to wear flats instead of heels. She used to wear jeans more than dresses and she used to be the girl who didn't even like the glitz and glimmer of the world she was born in.

But everything changed now.

She met his Dad's only sister and she helped her up. Her Aunty Eunice helped her move on along with her Mom. If not for them, she would still be stuck in her dark world but now, she's healed enough - stronger and bolder.

That's why when her Aunt opened a new door for her; she didn't even hesitate to accept it even if she knew that everything around her would change.

Now, she devoted herself to handling his Aunt and her Dad's businesses. She was long through with her being the Taerin who was left by the man she loved and the only man that she thought would save her from the heartbreak.

She studied in England to be the best entrepreneur she can be. She also learned fashion design in Paris for her Mom. She worked as a business executive in a well-known corporation in London for 2 years and then she worked for a well-known clothing line in France for almost two years. There she excelled in both areas and now she's skilled and ready enough to let her hands touch her Aunt and Mom's businesses.

She wouldn't be coming back to Korea for a while but her Mom told her about her Dad's business and its crisis. Since it was beyond her Mother's grasp and her Aunt had a huge company still in her hands then, she didn't have a choice but come home.

Her Mom and Aunt need her to protect all their businesses.

She agreed but she never thought about what she heard next from her Aunt.

Eunice Dominique needed an heir to protect all the businesses, especially the Dominique Group of Companies. An heir – not an heiress.

So to fulfill her duties, she reluctantly agreed to an arranged marriage between her and to her own Father's good friend's son. In other words, she needs to marry someone to protect their family business.

That's the main reason why she's standing here in front of this plenty of strangers. Tonight is her very own introduction to the business world and the social circle and also the formal engagement to the man she has never even seen since then.

Then Taerin felt some hands on both of her shoulders. That's the time she felt her Mom and Aunt's presence. "Smile, sweetie. You don't want to waste that gorgeous gown I made myself for you." Her Mom whispered to her while smiling at the people, on the other side, her Aunt heard it and also nodded in agreement.