Worlds Apart - Taekook - Book 2

Chapter 252 - Making Headway

Ryan was waiting for the dramatics because that was typical of his wife. The boys left, he saw the effect of Nuri's tears on Han-Shik and he'd seen it too many times before. That was how she manipulated him... them... everyone. She could switch the tears on and off when it suited and he didn't know what was an act and what wasn't so it was always easier to presume it was an act and deal with it at face value.

"Did you know they were coming?" Nuri asks Ho-Joon asks he gets to the door.

"No. None of us did." He responds, "I'm going to get coffee."

"Why didn't Han-Shik tell me?" Nuri asks her husband.

"Are you sure that... he knew?"

"They looked comfortable enough."

"They are brothers..."

"It's been over seven years since I've seen my boys together."

Ryan took small sips of tea, "You could've seen them together... at Ki-Joon's birthday... if Han-Shik stayed."

"But he didn't stay and I didn't see them all at once. Will they be back? Did they say they would come back?"

"No."

"Where are Kyong and Jungkook staying?"

"They didn't say."

"Did Jara and Taehyung travel with them?"

"They didn't say."

"Have they asked you not to tell me?"

"No they haven't."

"Do you have any idea how much that hurt to see the three of them together?"

If Ryan had the strength and wasn't on the brink of death he would have rolled his eyes... but he'd never shown his wife that he was visibly bored of her or that he was anything other than invested in their relationship... and he was invested... just in a different way to the one she believed.

Nuri continued without waiting for a response, "I will be disappointed in Emi if she knew about it. I will call her."

"How would Emi know... if Han-Shik didn't know?"

"I don't know! My three boys, that are now men are all in the same place and no-one told me. I'm here, all the time and I don't want to leave you here to meet up with them but I would like to ask them to dinner somewhere?"

"My love... a lot has happened... Jungkook told you... how he... felt... on the phone... you need... to leave them be."

Tears trickle from Nuri's eyes, she dabs at her cheeks with a white napkin. "How can you remind me of that? What will happen once you've gone? They will have to speak to me so that I can distribute the assets of the will." She was the executor so she knew her sons would have to meet with her after Ryan had passed. That was her role, to explain who was getting what as her husband had expressed many times that they were to take over the businesses. That was the legacy he wanted and she'd given up the life she wanted so that Ryan could have her sons as heirs.

Nuri had spoken to a lawyer so she knew exactly what she had to do and what the process was after the death of her husband. She'd been the dutiful wife and expected to continue for many years but life dealt her another hand and she was about to be a widow instead. She had formulated a plan, the funeral and all of the customs would be over with quickly because Ryan didn't want a traditional fuss. She could get the renovations started on the house and spend a month at a spa wellness retreat on a small island somewhere far away. Nuri spent years living an independent life which is what happened when she married a man that put business first. She had the finances to do whatever she wanted and had she got her own way and left her sons behind.. She would've been able to do so much more.