Ransomed Fiancée (Michaeng) ✔️

Summary (Part 7)

Chapter 96: Peninsular Project Arc

Nayeon was released and it didn't take her long to figure out why. The case was closed immediately. Jeongyeon picked her up, and the ride to their temporary house was silent. After Nayeon's house had been broken into, Jeongyeon decided it was safer for her to stay in the house arranged by Nayeon's father for their engagement. Jeongyeon had been living there alone but had moved all of Nayeon's belongings without asking.

When they arrived, Nayeon walked inside with Jeongyeon following close behind. The moment they stepped into the living room, Nayeon turned and smacked Jeongyeon across the face. Jeongyeon didn't flinch, she had expected it.

"That was the lifeline of the Im Group! I entrusted it to you because I trusted you!" Nayeon shouted.

"And then what? Let you rot in jail while my younger sister is manipulated like a lifeless doll? You knew, didn't you?" Jeongyeon shot back.

"I did it to protect Chaeyoung too! Do you think I kept it hidden just for myself? Everything I did was for you, for her, for all of us! It's better for Chaeyoung not to know. It's better for them. I've been trying my hardest to protect her but you just have to mess it up!"

Jeongyeon's glare softened, but there was a flicker of something else in her eyes. Something sharp and bitter. Her voice came out quieter, "You still think about her that much, huh?"

Nayeon froze, caught off guard by the question, "What are you talking about? Yes, of course, I care about her. I care about all of you. And now is really not the time for you to be twisting this into something else."

Nayeon stepped closer, her eyes searching Jeongyeon's face. "Do you even realize what you've done? You didn't just break my trust, Jeongyeon. You made a decision that wasn't yours to make. You chose for me. You chose for Chaeyoung. You chose for all of us, like you're the only one who gets to decide what's best."

Jeongyeon clenched her fists. "Wasn't that exactly what you did by sweeping this under the rug? You were deciding for us too. And I... I did what I thought was right" she said, her voice cracking at the end.

"Do you truly think that was the right decision to make? You've just put the entire Im Group at risk, handing it over to the Chairman on a silver platter. Do you even realize what you've done? How many employees, families, and businesses are tied to the Im Group?"

Jeongyeon stood still, her head bowed. Slowly, she looked up, her expression pained, "I didn't think about the Im Group," she said lowly, "I only thought about you and Chaeyoung. The two people who mean everything to me. The people I care about. The people I..." Her voice broke, and she looked away for a moment before continuing, "The people I love."

Nayeon softened as she shook her head.

"I just wanted to protect you," Jeongyeon said, her eyes now locked with Nayeon's. "That's all I wanted. To keep you safe. To keep Chaeyoung safe. I couldn't stand by and let you fall into ruin when I had the power to stop it."

Nayeon sighed, "I know," she admitted, her shoulders slumping. She turned away, her back facing Jeongyeon. Her voice dropped to almost a whisper. "I'm sorry. It was me who fell into the Chairman's trap. I know that. But you really shouldn't have done that. I can protect myself."

The silence that followed was heavy. Jeongyeon wanted to speak and say something to bridge the growing distance between them, but the words wouldn't come.

Nayeon turned her head slightly, not fully looking at Jeongyeon but enough for her words to carry a hint of vulnerability. "Come here," she called.

Jeongyeon hesitated for a second before walking over to the couch where Nayeon was sitting. She stood there briefly, unsure, until Nayeon looked up at her with a tired sigh and gestured for her to sit.