BOOK 1: The Heir Series; Choi Seungcheol

30: FUTURE

"You don't have to worry about me, Dominique. I'm perfectly fine." Her Mom said while swaying her hand in the air.

All Taerin could do was stare at her Mom with her mouth hanging open. Her Mom looked okay. She could think that she's just on a vacation in a hospital with the robe that she's wearing. But she knew well not to trust her condition.

Heart diseases are known to be silent killers. Just like cancer. Her Mom just had an episode of heart attack and she can't just let it go.

"Mom. Why didn't you tell me about your condition?"

When she heard that her Mom was sent to the hospital, it's like her heart leaped out of her chest due to fear and worry, that one of the two women she loved in her whole life would be gone also, just like her Dad.

"Oh, it's nothing, sweetheart. You don't need to worry." Her Mom waved her hands in the air again as if nothing life-threatening happened to her. "I'm still healthy as fit." She added.

"Mom, you just had a heart attack-"

"Minor heart attack." The woman corrected her.

Taerin rolled her eyes at her Mom's stubbornness. "It's your second attack." She said in frustration, hoping that her Mom would realize her condition.

"I'm still alive and kicking so stop fussing, young lady." She reprimanded. Now Taerin was being scolded because she was worrying too much.

She just sighed "But still, Mom. You should've told me. What if something happened to you? I would never know anything?"

Her Mom turned to Seungcheol. "Seungcheol, son. Do me a favor and get your wife home. I can't get a rest as what the doctor said when Taerin's here being all hysteria."

"I'm not hysterical, Mom." She reprimanded. "I'm just worried about you. And I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay here. I don't want to go home yet. You need someone with you here." As far as her Mom is concerned until she makes sure of it that she's perfectly fine and okay.

"Oh, please. Don't start treating me like a patient. I told you, I am okay. And don't let me get in the way of your honeymoon." Then her Mom throws a glance at the second oldest Choi who has been quiet the whole time on a corner. "I even told Jeonghan not to get in the way with your honeymoon. Yet he's just not listening to me these days." She shook her head in concern.

Jeonghan has been with her Mom lately since Seungcheol is off from the empire so as the second eldest, he's the one filling Seungcheol's place.

"Geez, Mom. It's good that Jeonghan told me immediately." If Jeonghan didn't call them that day, for sure they're still at Boa Manor and not know about her Mom's condition. She wouldn't even learn about her Mom's heart condition.

Her Mom took both her hands and looked at her. "Sweetie, I'm alright. You can visit tomorrow if you want but you need to go home now. It's already past 10. The travel period would be long. You need to rest."

"But Mo-" She just wants to stay but the way her Mom was looking at her, silently asking her to follow her. That's when Taerin noticed the tired bags under her Mom's eyes.

She's known to be a strong woman in business – a queen without a king. Mostly, people don't want to cross paths with her Mom, even her own employers are intimidated by her. But as she looks at her Mom now, stress and hard work are both taking their toll on her.

"Seungcheol." Her Mom called behind her.

Then she felt someone grab her arm. "Let's go, Dominique." She heard Seungcheol say. That's the only time when she heard him speak since they entered the room.