I Think I've Poked a Sleeping Bear
Chapter 40
Chapter 40
[Shocking], [Exclusive], [Breaking News]
[Exclusive] Multi-Trillion-Won Arranged Marriage ‘Ruined’… Saja Group’s Ra Iheon & Dongyeon Group’s Baek Seorin, Synergies Vanish into Thin Air
The arranged marriage between Saja Group’s Ra Iheon (32) and Dongyeon Group’s Baek Seorin (29) has fallen apart just before the knot was tied. Saja Group acknowledged the broken engagement, stating that “marriage discussions have been settled amicably,” but Dongyeon Group remains silent.
Speculation is mounting across the industry that “there might have been someone else in their hearts,” alongside analysis that massive business synergies once projected in the multi-trillions have evaporated in the wake of the breakup.
Major collaborative projects that were being pursued through the union—such as the integration of Saja Pay with Dongyeon’s transit network, integrated logistics and air express services, and unified VIP memberships—have come to a complete halt, and both conglomerates are expected to suffer inevitable fallout.
Once the initial article broke, follow-up pieces began flooding out on their own without Lee Heon having to lift a finger.
Saja Group-Dongyeon Group Arranged Marriage Falls Through… Multi-Trillion-Won Joint Projects Suspended Across the Board
Ra Iheon and Baek Seorin Make Broken Engagement Official… Arranged Marriage Ultimately Run Aground
Two Conglomerates Choose Parting over Partnership… 'Saja Pay Integration' Also on Hold
[Exclusive] "Was There Someone Else?"… Ra Iheon and Baek Seorin Call Off Arranged Marriage at the Eleventh Hour
[Shocking] Multi-Trillion-Won Arranged Marriage Shattered… "Did One of Them Already Give Their Heart to Another?"
[Breaking] Saja Group Confirms Broken Engagement… Both Sides Remain Silent on 'Cheating Rumors'
[Exclusive] Breakup Right on the Brink of Marriage… Was the Problem Not the Business, but the Partner?
[Shocking] "A Loveless Contract Has Ended" Baek Seorin and Ra Iheon Call Off Wedding
Headlines that initially focused on corporate matters gradually began to let their imaginations run wild, quickly dragging the relationship between Lee Heon and Seo-rin through the mud.
From inter-corporate business to the private affairs of each family, romantic scandals, and wildly spinning rumors.
If this continued, an uncontrollable storm of gossip would inevitably erupt.
There was no telling how far the negative fallout from their broken engagement would spread within Saja Group.
Yet there was no time to worry about that.
“Seriously, why did this have to blow up first thing in the morning?”
“I know, right? If it was going to burst anyway, couldn’t it have waited until after lunch? Now we won’t even get to eat.”
The moment the news dropped, the PR Crisis Management Team where Dan-a worked was thrown into a state of emergency.
Because it was not fake news, they couldn’t even mount a defense by calling it false.
An amicable agreement between Saja Group and Dongyeon Group. They framed their response strategy around the angle that both companies had agreed to break away from an anachronistic arranged marriage framework and pursue their business agreements through a more modern approach.
Knowing that the rumor about another woman was not entirely a lie, Dan-a felt terribly guilty toward her struggling colleagues.
Ra Iheon, you have no idea, do you?
What it feels like for the subordinates who have to clean up the mess left behind.
We made this mess together, but here I am, the only one cleaning it up.
If she hadn’t been the other party in the scandal, she might have spent days and months cursing the President.
However!
Now that she knew Saja Group had tried to force Lee Heon into marriage purely for business leverage…
She resolved no longer to harbor guilt or indebtedness over the ruined engagement.
From now on, she would think only of Lee Heon’s happiness.
‘You won’t ever be exposed, so don’t worry about that.’
‘I’m not worried. I know you’ll handle it brilliantly, Lee Heon-ssi.’
To be honest, even if she were to be exposed a little, she was prepared for it.
If you wear the crown, you must bear its weight.
The real problem was Lee Heon’s parents. There was no way they would accept that he had scrapped a colossal business contract only to choose someone as utterly ordinary as her.
Yet, strangely enough, Lee Heon had seemed confident on that front.
Right. He’ll take care of it. Have faith.
And I just need to do my job.
My job is to make sure our President takes as little flak as humanly possible.
Fighting!
Crash! A porcelain vase in the study was smashed to pieces by Yeon-sook’s hand.
“You handle things like this?! You?!”
Thud! A mouse, a telephone, and various desk items went flying everywhere.
Do-hyun fidgeted anxiously, completely at a loss.
A furious Yeon-sook was one thing, but this was the first time he had ever been hauled in front of Cheolmin.
Seeing Cheolmin, who overwhelmed people with his sheer, silent presence, and Yeon-sook, who usually acted so elegant, with her eyes practically turned inside out with rage, Do-hyun knew he was done for.
One slip of the tongue and he would die a dog’s death.
He couldn’t tell whether his dream of resigning was getting closer or drifting impossibly far away.
“Secretary Kang! You didn’t know? Did you truly not know that bastard Iheon was going to release an article like this?!”
Yeon-sook hurled the printed articles straight into Do-hyun’s face.
“W-Well, that is… Um, yes, that is correct.”
“’That is correct’? Do you call that an answer right now?! What on earth are you doing as his secretary?! I told you to stick right beside him and report every single detail!”
A hysterical voice resonated as though rising from the very depths of her core.
A screech that rattled through the skulls of anyone listening.
If she had pursued classical vocal music, she probably would have conquered the world with that voice.
And so, you learn something new about a person every day.
“I-I apologize, Director, but you instructed me to attend to Executive Director Ra… Executive Director Ra I-on, so I was unable to stay by the President’s side for quite some time.”
“Are you making excuses right now?”
“It’s n-not an excuse… Back then, you suddenly told me to keep an eye on Executive Director Ra, so I didn’t have the leeway to pay attention to President Ra as well.”
To be honest, I don’t even know what you’re so furious about right now.
Do-hyun, who had thought he would get a front-row seat to juicy drama, had actually missed the main event while bouncing between the Ra brothers.
Moreover, unlike Lee Heon, Yi-on was the type of person who genuinely drained the sanity right out of people.
There was a reason they said old friends are best; working with President Ra really had been far better.
Even if Lee Heon had suddenly started acting like an adolescent boy, he never felt like a juvenile delinquent.
Yi-on, on the other hand, was essentially a born troublemaker.
He would routinely wander off in the middle of work.
Do-hyun would wait thinking he had gone to the restroom, only to find out he had simply clocked out and gone home.
And why on earth did he exercise so much during working hours?
Bowling alleys, pool halls, table tennis, golf courses, swimming pools.
It was practically an athletic department curriculum, with a different sport scheduled for every day of the week.
And he didn’t take it easy, either.
On days when Do-hyun got caught tailing him and ended up roped in as his workout partner, he would be so exhausted that he crashed into a dead sleep the moment he got home.
Today had been one of those days.
After getting caught monitoring Yi-on as he demolished his upper body at the gym from the crack of dawn, how humiliating had the morning been?
Yi-on crushed his masculine pride by pointing out his weak lower body, then tortured him by forcing him through five consecutive sets of deadlifts.
Truthfully, Do-hyun’s legs were shaking right now from the workout, not from Yeon-sook’s fury.
A man needed stamina to read the news.
No matter how furious she was with him, there was no way he could have known what kind of article had dropped.
Still, going by his years of experience, Lee Heon had clearly gone and released the broken engagement article at long last.
“Kang Dohyeon?”
Yeon-sook looked at Do-hyun, her voice dropping low with suppressed rage.
“Have you truly forgotten everything? What your role is? Just because your mother is doing a little better now, are you having second thoughts? Do you want to throw it all away and submit your resignation?”
Bingo.
I want nothing more than to escape this wretched Ra family.
“Not at all, ma’am.”
“What was your job? To report every single thing that happened with Iheon back to me—that was it! Did I ask you to work? Did I ask you to produce business results? All I wanted was that one thing! To tell me everything that bastard Ra Iheon is up to! And you couldn’t even manage that one thing?!”
“I-I’m so sorry—!”
Bang!
The door swung wide open, and Lee Heon strode in.
Glancing with displeasure at Do-hyun being scolded by Yeon-sook, Lee Heon quickly caught Do-hyun by the wrist and pulled him behind his back.
“If you have something to say, say it to me. Stop tormenting my person.”
His… person…?
Do-hyun’s heart fluttered.
Ra Iheon. Even knowing I was a spy, you still consider me your person?
…Fool. You big, soft-hearted fool.
Maybe I should stick around and protect him so he doesn’t get scammed.
Lee Heon looked back at Do-hyun.
“Secretary Kang, please step outside.”
“B-But…”
“It’s all right. Please step outside.”
He met Do-hyun’s eyes with a steady, reassuring gaze that urged him to trust him.
Well, of course. I’ll get going right away. Hallelujah.
Do-hyun nodded and stepped out immediately.
Only Cheolmin, Yeon-sook, and Lee Heon remained in the study.
“You! Just what on earth have you done?! Call Dongyeon Group right this second, clean up this mess, and tell them you’ll go through with the wedding!”
“I’m sorry, but I cannot do that. I already have a woman I love.”
“What? A woman? Are you saying this… this absurd article is actually true?!”
“Yes.”
“Break it off. Break it off this instant! Break up with her, go to Dongyeon Group, get down on your knees, and beg for forgiveness!”
“Please stop.”
Lee Heon slid a resignation letter across the desk toward Yeon-sook.
“What… What is this? Are you saying you’re going to quit?!”
“Yes. I will step down from the position of President. And I will be leaving this house.”
“What? Quit as President? Leave this house?!”
Lee Heon offered a curt bow and turned to leave, prompting Yeon-sook to shriek after him.
“You think you can just cause a disaster and run away?! Even if you leave, you clean up the company’s mess before you go!”
Lee Heon looked back at the two of them with a frigid smile.
“Why should I? I’m not even part of this family.”
At Lee Heon’s words, Yeon-sook froze.
“You…”
“Hyung!”
Having only just seen the articles, Yi-on burst into the study, panting for breath.
All four of them stared at one another, the air thick with tension.
Lee Heon spoke coldly.
“Why would someone who isn’t even part of this family enter into an arranged marriage with Dongyeon Group? Were you hoping I would serve as your sacrificial lamb?”
“Y-You… How did you…”
“Thank you for raising me all these years. …Director. Chairman.”
As Lee Heon turned around, Yi-on was standing before him.
Looking as though he was on the verge of tears.
“Let’s keep in touch sometimes.”
Patting Yi-on on the shoulder, Lee Heon headed outside with a light heart.
“You insolent brat, Ra Iheon! Stand right there!”
Cheolmin, who had kept his mouth firmly shut the entire time, finally called out to him.
“Where do you think you’re going?!”
“I apologize, but you won’t be able to treat me like your property anymore.”
“Sit down.”
“I refuse.”
“Is that so? Then I’ll stand up and speak.”
Cheolmin walked over to stand in front of Lee Heon. He glared at him with rigid, uncompromising eyes and declared,
“I am your father.”
What?
“Your biological father!”