Billionaire Baby Daddy

07. Dara

“Dara, did you hear me?”

My head snapped up to find Jinyoung staring at me in concern. We were inside a small meeting room just outside the courtroom.

Jinyoung Park was my lawyer. He was a sharp and logical man in his late fifties. He and my mother had been friends for as long as I could remember. As I’d grown up and become more aware of such things, I realized that Jinyoung liked my mom—probably even had feelings for her. Feelings she didn’t seem to return. I’d asked her once when I was a teenager why she didn’t get together with “Uncle Jinyoung.” She was still a vital and interesting woman, who any man would have been proud and lucky to have as a partner. At the time, I may have compared Jinyoung’s tall, graying, good looks to George Clooney. My mother had laughed in an embarrassed but cute way and said she was way too busy raising me. When I’d tried to disagree, she’d winked at me and added that she didn’t want to let a good friendship be ruined by a failed romance. I had to admit I’d been a little relieved (yep, I was selfish like that) to have her decide I was her main focus. Funny enough, and against all the odds, she and Jinyoung had managed to maintain their warm and loving friendship after all these years.

Jinyoung was also the go-to guy for any serious concerns we had in our household. The second I’d called to tell him about my situation with Ilwoo, he’d offered to represent me. I didn’t know what I would have done if it hadn’t been for him.

“Yeah, sorry, Uncle Jinyoung. There’s just so much going on. I’m trying to clear my head before we go in there.”

Jinyoung placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “I’ll be there the entire time. “If you get overwhelmed, I’ll step in. You can do this.”

I nodded.

“Now I want you to remember that this is a family court hearing, Dara,” Jinyoung cautioned. “It’ll be set up more like a meeting than a courtroom, like you see on TV. There will be a judge in the room, and a court clerk to take notes. There’s a filing clerk, but they won’t be there today, they just keep the court’s files up to date and organized, and schedule hearings. I might deal with them, but you won’t have to. Our judge has a law student helping with legal research, preparing the case, and anything else they assign them. Finally, a bailiff will be there to keep order and security. Apart from that, it’s you and me, and Ilwoo and his lawyer. It seems like a lot of people, I know, but you’ll be sitting at a table with me, Ilwoo, his lawyer, and the judge only. Once we get started, you probably won’t even notice the others.”

If it had been any other day I would have burst into that room, armed and ready to deal with whatever Ilwoo threw my way. But, the situation with Jiyong had drained me emotionally. It had been a few days since he’d demanded to meet Jisoo, and as Friday drew nearer, I was growing increasingly anxious. I didn’t want my daughter to meet him if he was going to blow in and out of her life. How was I to know if he’d stick around? That’s what I was most afraid of. She didn’t need another man in her life she couldn’t count on, even if he was her real father. All the uncertainties… I wouldn’t allow her little heart to be broken.

Jinyoung must have sensed it because he leaned in close and asked, “Are you okay with what I’ve explained to you?”

I nodded, a little distracted.

“Did Ilwoo say something to get to you?” Uh-oh. His face was getting a little red. “Did he intimidate you?”

“No.” I shrugged. “Well, kind of.”

Jinyoung was adamant about me keeping my distance from Ilwoo, and I was more than happy to agree. I didn’t want to talk to the bastard, anyway. All he ever did was try and degrade me. I could live without that, thank you very much.