In this chapter:

"Enough!" he bellows in disbelief. "We are in deep enough shit as it is. Are you never satisfied until you win? We are already being accused of libel. Do you want to give them more reason to attack us? At this rate… we really will end up losing everything."

She steels herself for what she's about to say. "No, we won't."

"Oppa, thank you for agreeing to meet me."

Wook turned immediately and frowned at his sister. "Was it you? Did you release the articles about the J&J Group? Everything I had managed to find, all of my files have disappeared. Myunghee told me you were at our apartment two nights ago."

She smiled a demure little smile and nodded.

He couldn't believe it. He and his sister had never been on the best of terms, but he had always been willing to help her. And now she had caused him and his clients a great deal of trouble."Why?"

"Your investigation would have led you to her eventually… those articles on the internet were set up by Yoo Myeongsun, So's mother," she explained, taking a seat and looking out over the city lights below.

"What?" he asked in disbelief, taking the seat opposite. "Why would she…?"

"So has a girlfriend," she explained, trying to sound like it mattered little… but just the memory of his retreating back, watching as he left her and his mother looking silly in front of all those reporters, is enough to refuel her anger. "And we have reason to believe she might be using him. We just need the evidence."

At these words, Wook's frown deepens. "Using him? What do you mean?" He recalls what he knows of Hajin. He had recognized her right away as the hero who drowned, fell into a deep sleep, and woke up after a year against all odds, with no lasting serious injuries.

"His mother hasn't revealed much to me, but from what I gather, the girl is of humble origins and has a ton of debt to her name," Yeonhwa explained, rejoicing over the girl's troubles. Such a girl dared to come between her and her goals. Yeonhwa couldn't let it happen. She had waited so long for So to acknowledge her feelings… she had worked tirelessly for a year, building a reputation, using her inheritance to reestablish her father's old publishing company… just to have some nobody ruin her plans? No. Yeonhwa was having none of it. She would marry the man of her dreams, have the life she had always wanted for herself, no matter what the cost.

"Oppa… I need your help. You and So have been friends for a long time. Surely, you don't want to see him ruined over a girl? His mother thinks she is using him to pay back her debts, and I believe she may be right. How can we allow him to associate himself with such a woman?"

"What do you know of her?" he asked, weighing all the information in his mind.

The question annoyed Yeonhwa, because the answer was, "Not much. As I said, though we are partners in this, his mother rarely shares details with me. She only tells me what I need to know and what she wants me to do. But you… oppa… I know you. You know everything. You can help me. We can help So together."

Finally, Wook looked at her. "But you do know what his mother is planning?"

She nodded. "That much she has shared with me. She is currently digging up dirt on the woman. This is how you can help. There's no one else I know who is better than you at this. If we can break off So's relationship before it can become any more serious, we have a chance. His mother has promised him to me, in exchange for a lasting alliance between their family and the press. Once I am his wife, it will be easy to depose his bastard brother. I can make So CEO. Oppa… I know you have been struggling with your PR company. Imagine having the entire Wang Group as your clients. You will be rich, you will be known. You will have more power than you can imagine."

As tempting as the offer sounded, Wook had one concern in his mind: Myunghee. She and Hajin had recently bonded over the discovery of their shared blood. If Hajin were to fall, how would Myunghee react? Would her family's business be affected by mere association with Hajin's name?

"I have to think this through," he said at last.

"Of course," she smiled sweetly at him and got up. "Do what you must, dear brother."

Yeonhwa turned to leave, but he stopped her. "You realize what you're doing is risky? I have dug enough to know that many of those articles against J&J have been fabricated. If they're traced back to you… you could be in big trouble."

"But that's exactly why we need to act fast," she explained confidently, "The sooner we can get rid of So's girlfriend, the sooner my engagement to him can become a reality. Then the attack on J&J will stop. That company's CEO is no saint. He has received backlash for his rash actions in the past. His PR is entirely capable of defending their clients. It's the Wangs who will suffer more because of their joint venture. They have invested a lot. They will lose a lot if it all falls apart."

.

"The debts are her ex-boyfriend's," Wook explained to Yeonhwa a week later, dropping a stack of pictures onto the table, careful not to include those with Hajin's face on them. "I've been having her followed since the party and was able to get these pictures. But he has already started paying his debts back little by little. So what now? She's clean."

Yeonhwa frowned. Her brother was looking tired and stressed, like he hadn't slept in days. "It doesn't matter. She is penniless. She could still be using him for his money."

"We don't know that," he snapped irritably. "How can you possibly know that?"

"Oppa… we can turn it into the truth," she whispered, leaning forward in her seat. "It says here her ex-boyfriend works in a small shop. He has a wife and they are expecting their first child. How can they prepare properly for the birth if most of his salary goes into paying off his debts?"

Wook was smart. He knew immediately where his sister was going with this. "You mean to bribe him to get him to lie to us."

"It's a small lie. Until recently, weren't those debts hers to pay?"

Wook shook his head. "He has already apologized and agreed to start paying them off himself. What makes you think he'll retract just for you?"

"You said it yourself, he is trying to pay off his debts. We offer him money he can't refuse in his desperate situation. If he wants to be noble, then we lie to him about So's relationship. Tell him his ex is being played, that So will leave her soon to be with me. It'll be a win-win for him. If you don't want to do it, I will. Tell me who he is and I'll talk to him myself."

"No," Wook said firmly, to her annoyance. Like Myeongsun, he had refused to tell her the identity of So's girlfriend.

"Why don't you just tell me who she is?" she snapped. "Why do you protect her?"

"The less you know, the better," he said vaguely. He couldn't risk Yeonhwa finding out about Hajin. She and Myunghee hated each other enough. What would she say to Myunghee if she ever found out the woman they've been plotting to destroy was none other than Myunghee's young cousin, Hajin?

Neither could Myunghee find out about their plans. Wook was certain she would take her cousin's side. "Especially if you mean to cover up your lies with more lies. I'll do it. I'll speak to him."

"Fine," Yeonhwa gritted her teeth. "Just do what you must. I don't care about the details."

At this point, Wook sighed. "Yeonhwa-yah… are you sure you want to do this? It would be better, easier to back out. Don't involve yourself in the struggle between the Yoos and the Wangs. Live a little simpler. Forget about So."

Yeonhwa set her jaw stubbornly upon hearing the last line. "I can't, oppa, you know how much I admire him. I can't give him up. I have loved no other for years. Everything I have done, I've done to get closer to him. How can you ask me to give up now? We are children of the press. We live in lies and manipulation. Are you scared of getting caught?"

"Of course I am," he said in defeat. "So should you. We are dealing with powerful families here."

She shrugged, unconcerned. "Bigger newspapers and news portals lie about the government everyday."

"They're protected by law. We, on the other hand, are held accountable for everything we release to the public." He got up and held her by the shoulders, looking right into her eyes. "Tell me again… is this what you really want? I will help you with anything… give you whatever you want. Just say the word, and we can drop this."

Despite her nerves, her voice remained firm, "I have wanted nothing else for years. Oppa, please… help me."

.

.

Eyes closed, Wook clenches his fist around the paper in his hand.

"What is going on?" his mother says in a terrified voice. "Wook-ah, why are you being summoned to a court hearing? What has happened? Is it Myunghee?"

"Yes."

"No." Wook turns a steely glare towards his younger sister, but she only stares defiantly back. "It's not Myunghee… it's Yeonhwa."

Stunned, their mother turns around, "Yeonhwa-yah, what does he mean? What have you done?"

"Even then, I told you… I told you what you were planning was risky," Wook says, shaking from both rage and fear. "I told you to back out. I would have helped you with anything… why did it have to be this?"

Yeonhwa swallows. "It was her… her plan all along. I just went along with it."

"And now we have to pay the price!" he hisses, slamming a fist onto the countertop, the sound loud enough to make the two women jump in fright. "You told me you were partners, but now you say you've had a falling out. So what does that mean for us? That we are alone in this fight? That we have to answer to the charges made against us by one of the top business groups in Japan, and my biggest client? Do you have any idea what would happen if we lose?!"

He reaches her in three quick strides. "Those articles about Hajin… you knew So knew about them. You knew his mother didn't want to have them published. Why did you do it?"

"Because I genuinely believe Hajin is using him. She wants him for his money. Oppa, I can't let her get away with it… he has been completely bewitched."

"He'd already read the articles! He didn't believe them then, he doesn't believe them now! Even if you're right, you should have found another way to convince him. Why didn't you consult me before acting? Were you out of your mind?!"

She would never admit something like that out loud. "I thought that even if they didn't matter to him, that they would matter to her."

The smirk on Wook's face chills Yeonhwa to the bone. She had never seen her brother so angry before… never this worried. "So… you hoped that she would be the one to leave him? You thought that being plagued by reporters would be enough to make her break off her engagement?"

"I thought that having everyone she knows doubt her could shake her… scare her away. At the very least, how could his family accept someone like that? She has nothing and she's already causing them so much trouble. Oppa… there's more… so much more we can do. We have all the papers in our hands, all the evidences… we can-"

"Enough!" he bellows in disbelief. "We are in deep enough shit as it is. Are you never satisfied until you win? We are already being accused of libel. Do you want to give them more reason to attack us? At this rate… we really will end up losing everything."

She steels herself for what she's about to say. "No, we won't."

Wook is surprised by the confidence in his sister's voice, but it's nothing compared to the shock of hearing her next words.

"We are not being sued, oppa… only you are."

There's a stunned silence as everyone processes these words.

"Yeonhwa-yah," their mother says at last, frozen in place, staring at her daughter with wide, horrified eyes. "You don't mean that. You can't mean what you're saying."

But she does. "Oppa… answer their charges. There's no point in the both of us getting sued. I promise, I will find a way… I will get you out… trust me and I will do everything I can to help-"

He staggers away from her and has to brace himself against the wall. "You wish for me… to bear the full consequences of your actions? You wish for me to taint my name, my reputation… for…" he takes a deep breath to steady himself.

"If we involve the entire company, we will be ruined. Father's legacy… your PR company…" Yeonhwa pleads in as convincing a manner as she can. "We really will lose everything."

He laughs, pained and crazed. "Yet you were the one who gave the order to release the articles. You were the one communicating with Yoo Myeongsun this whole time."

"If you tell them you told me to do it…"

He's heard enough. Shaking his head, Wook slams the door shut behind him and drives away.

"Is this right?" Baek Ah asks Hajin, showing her his work.

She stares in wonder at the finished drawings in his hand. "Yes! They're perfect, Baek Ah-nim! The color, the design…" she looks up in awe, "you really are amazing."

He blushes, looking pleased. "So now we have the outfits for all the court ladies! I suppose we'll be using silk for the material? We can have your uniforms by next week."

She nods happily, taking all the drawings from him and gazing at them with wonder. Her eyes land on the sketches of her own uniform - grey with warm flowers and leaves - and the memories they elicit make her smile… of when he first told her he loved her… of the first time she kissed him on the banks of Lake Dongji…

"You're spacing out again," Baek Ah teases. "It's only been two weeks, and it's not like you two don't text or call each other."

She narrows her eyes and whacks him playfully with her head court lady stick. "Don't think you know everything about me, Baek Ah-nim. I wasn't thinking about that at all."

"But you were thinking of him?" he grins, dancing out of her reach. "It's natural, noona, you miss him. Why don't you give him a call right now? I notice you're always the one waiting for him."

She sighs. "Because he's busy. I don't know who he's with or what he's doing. I might disturb him. If only he had Facebook or Instagram, or some other form of social media! Then I could just leave him a private message or even check if he's online and free to chat. SMS is so unreliable… not to mention expensive across countries!"

"But he does have a Facebook account, noona."

Hajin is stumped. "He told me he didn't."

"Well… that's probably because he didn't make it. Eunnie-hyung did," Baek Ah explains, his upper lip twitching. "He needed extra lives for some online game. We all helped for a time, but then it became annoying, and that's when Eunnie-hyung figured that since So-hyung had no interest in Facebook that he could just make the account and manage it himself. It's been years since he stopped playing the game though, so the account might have been deactivated."

She decides to ask So about it the next time he calls.

"Agassi." Chaeryung enters the room with Sooyeon, who looks around the newly constructed Damiwon building with appreciation. "Here's the complete list you asked for of all the antique shops in Seoul, and in the nearby cities."

"The garden outside looks lovely, Baek Ah-yah. It's a very pleasant place to relax," Sooyeon remarks, touching the surface of the smooth wooden staircase before looking down at the inner bathing pool by her feet. "I suppose that will be filled with water later on?"

Baek Ah nods. "There are two bathing pools in total. We'll be adding a heater to the one outside so it'll be like a spring, and Mu-hyung thinks having a sauna would be good, too. We just need to furbish the place, buy some antiques or passable imitations, furniture… then we'll be all set."

Sooyeon nods, satisfied. "We already have a growing list of clients interested in availing our products. Does little Eun have a marketing strategy in mind for our opening? I notice he hasn't been coming into the office that often."

"Ah, ye…" Baek Ah scratches his temple. "That's because he's busy training."

Surprised, Sooyeon frowns. "Training? For what?"

"Martial arts," Baek Ah explains, miming a punch and a kick. "He's developed a sudden interest. But I'll remind him later, I promise. I'm sure he hasn't been neglecting his work."

"And while you're at it, remind him that we'll be getting your measurements tomorrow for the wedding. Hajin-ah, what about your bridesmaids and maid-of-honor? Will they be available?"

Hajin feels slightly panicked, but she swallows it down. "Yes, eomeoni, they've all been informed. My cousin, Myunghee, has agreed to be my maid-of-honor… as for the bridesmaids, there are only Chaeryung and Soondeok."

"Add another to make it three. I'm sure you can think of someone else. Perhaps another cousin?" Sooyeon suggests.

Hajin did have three bridesmaids in mind originally… however, the other one had disappeared, and she and Chaeryung are still trying their best to locate her.

"I do have someone in mind, but she's busy. Is it ok if we have her fitting postponed?" Hajin crosses her fingers.

"I suppose so. But not too long, mind."

Hajin nods, relieved. She turns to Chaeryung as Sooyeon and Baek Ah ascend the stairs to the upper floors. "Any news?"

To her delight, Chaeryung smiles and nods. "I've found her, agassi. It hasn't been easy, especially since she filed a temporary leave from university, and I couldn't find any records of her family, nor an address, but… you mentioned she was a musician. I put up an ad for small bands and song groups to come sing at your wedding… and one of them was this."

She hands Hajin a sheet of paper, eyes shining with excitement. "That's her, isn't it?"

The young woman in the photo is smiling, an acoustic guitar sitting on her lap, her long hair down and covering her left shoulder. Around her are four men on different instruments.

"Yes! You did it, Chaeryung-shi!" Her face breaks into a wide smile. "You've found her… This is definitely Woohee."

"The auditions are scheduled for the week after next… but I can send them a message and ask for a private interview, if you'd like?"

Hajin's still apprehensive about this. She's not sure how Baek Ah and Woohee will react to seeing each other again… and she definitely doesn't want to ruin her own wedding by forcing them to meet without their knowledge. But still… she wants Woohee there. Woohee had been something of a sister to her in Goryeo, and before she resigned, they had become very good friends.

"Perhaps an interview first would be best," she decides at last. "How soon can you arrange it?"

"Your schedule is all full, so it's really up to you. What time would you like me to free up for you?"

Hajin decides she really needs to talk to So first. He would know what to do. If anything, he can convince Baek Ah to let Woohee into the wedding. "The day after tomorrow. Lunch time."

Thank you to all the readers and your comments! I hope you all enjoy these next chapters leading up to the end ^^
I'm thinking of a way to prolong the story a bit, but I don't know if I can write 4 more years of their lives until we reach the Christmas Special I wrote. Maybe just until Seol's birth or something xD

JennyMNZ : I just let my mom watch the drama hahaha she's scarred. She's been asking about the real Gwangjong and watching fanvideos on youtube LOL! It won't be bad for SoSoo anymore, but for the others... kekeke weeeeell, trials are part of life :3

Mia Richmond/ .richmond : Hello and thank you so much! I"m glad you're enjoying it :D

mikanMD: *chuckle* seeeecret. In time, my friend, in time :3

Daoine: hahaha true! We all know how easily she can get pregnant anyway, and how um... compatible they are :P

SoSoo: Ikr? But that's life. Or, that's business haha you're welcome. Thanks for reading and commenting!

Rito Dey: Definitely not ^^ more than 6 months later and SHR still consumes me.

Star-of-Chaos: Man, now I want a marshmallow haha thank you for reading and commenting :3

myrka1296g: hahaha maybe she is, maybe she's not. We'll seeeee :D thanks a lot! You take care, too!

maraudergurl2010 : Yo! I wondered where you were XD I missed the update to the previous chapter as well lol these internet bugs. I am happy to see y'all confused about whether or not Hajin is pregnant hahaha GOAL ACHIEVED!
OUTLANDER! I've read about 5 of the books and I've seen both seasons. The series really did the books justice :D
About the "I will protect you" between Hajin and Myunghee, I meant for Myunghee to say it but now you mention it, it works for both xD

seibelle: Thanks for the info! I was all confused what to put. I tried researching about weddings in Korea and found that the average wedding these days cost about 200,000 USD. I'm sooo not sure hahah I tried converting the money to my country's currency and 10 mil KRW for a wedding dress is way above average, so that's why I decided it should be enough for an uber rich family xD Thanks for the review and I'm glad you're enjoying the story :D

Thank you guys and much love! ^^