Chapter 17
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“She’s not at ease around you. Leave the room.”
Weon shot back with disbelief. “How can you spread lies like that? Take a good look if your eyes work. Notice those delicate little fingers clutching my shirt? She’s holding on tight, begging me to stay.”
Somehow, Yewon had slipped next to Weon’s seat. Her small fists bunched in the fabric of his clothing.
Her words came out so endearingly sweet, piercing straight to the heart.
“Did everyone catch that? Come on! You saw it, right?”
Weon beamed with uncontainable delight, puffing up his chest. Dark lines throbbed across Doha’s temples.
He fought the powerful impulse to swat Hanwon’s skull. Instead, he beckoned Yewon closer.
This would prove he remained her top choice, no matter the circumstances.
Yewon shattered his expectations without hesitation.
“Come here, and you’ll chase Uncle Weon away. I refuse to let that happen.”
Doha’s face crumpled in defeat at once. Weon burst into laughter, pure bliss radiating from him as he scooped her into the air and twirled her playfully.
“Yewon! We should make it permanent—living with your uncle from now on! Say yes!”
He brushed off her every protest without a second thought.
Weon discovered his ultimate source of vitality.
Tears of happiness welled up inside him.
He vowed silently to hold on forever. His precious bundle of energy.
Over at Time Entertainment, meanwhile.
CEO Park sensed an odd shift in the air these days.
Doha building an actual family bond felt surreal.
Having guided him from trainee years, the CEO cherished this development deeply.
Yet everything else spelled trouble.
GLEET’s path ahead lay shrouded in uncertainty.
In moments like these, he reminded himself, the senior figure had to remain vigilant and steady the ship.
A knock echoed. CEO Park massaged his pounding temples before responding.
Yeongeo edged inside cautiously, peeking through the narrow opening.
The CEO eyed him with confusion.
“That relative of Yewon’s supposed father—the one we nearly sued until Yewon begged us to hold off.”
“Did he reach out? The guy we spared because of her pleas? Shameless. Demanding cash, no doubt?”
Yeongeo paused, then finally spoke.
“He’s warning that without payment, he’ll reveal Yewon as Doha’s daughter. That’s his message.”
CEO Park’s features turned to stone.
Inside Time Entertainment’s main building, the CEO’s office.
Doha, Weon, and CEO Park convened urgently.
Yewon’s impostor uncle issued a blackmail demand: publicize her true link to Doha.
Yewon waited safely at the dorm under the watchful eye of a reliable caregiver handpicked by CEO Park.
“I’d usually dismiss such nonsense—who’d buy it?—but timing’s awful right now.”
They circled back to the starting point.
Doha prepared to declare his plan: place Yewon with a suitable household.
The duration had flown by too fast. His resolve wavered without a solid option in sight.
No ideal guardians yet. Securing flawless ones demanded patience.
A full year, perhaps two.
They could share that span together.
Time would slip away unnoticed.
With his mind settled along those lines, he voiced it.
“I’ll look after Yewon temporarily, until a safe home appears. Roughly one or two years.”
Doha scowled at the instant backlash from Weon and CEO Park.
“Keep her with you. Perfect uncle vibes. I’ve observed three days straight—spot on. None better. Me included. Picture a cozy home amid lush fields, us three for a century.”
“Four uncles might match two parents’ worth. Bunch of fools combined equals a pair. Raise her through thirteen years till adulthood—blink of an eye in a lifetime. Start now, decide later.”
For once, Doha resented their presence in his life.
“Stubborn fits change nothing.”
He clung to composure while insisting.
“Yewon called you a solid family.”
“One that offers plenty of quality time—”
“Seven years of this grind calls for adjustments. We’re reasonable. Full support for childcare, flexible schedules. Big firms excel there.”
“Convinced yet?”
Deep down, despite the irritation, Doha stayed silent, swayed by the logic.
“Lee Doha! Smartest move all year!”
Cheers erupted at Doha’s reluctant commitment.
“Excellent call. We’ll handle that creep immediately. Plus, strategize a proactive reveal of Yewon.”
Doha inclined his head solemnly at CEO Park’s plan.
Proactively disclosing minimized fallout, even to his own eyes.
“I’ll rely on you all.”
He rose, the weight still crushing.
Doha headed back, emotions churning.
He dismissed the vetted babysitter CEO Park provided.
Gazing at Yewon, lost in peaceful slumber, oblivious to his arrival.
Had he chosen wisely? Committing to parent this girl.
Such a fragile being, bound to him by blood.
One who depended on him utterly, yearning for shared days.
Countless had sought GLEET’s Lee Doha.
Trainee days at Time Entertainment crowned him their star prospect right away.
Rival firms showered offers.
GLEET debut unleashed floods of adoration.
Crowds everywhere left him wondering if he merited affection, even slightly.
That illusion crumbled nightly in the dorm mirror, staring at his father’s spitting image.
The mere notion of his father twisted Doha’s expression.
Debut buzz fixated on the likeness.
[Debut sensation: identical features! GLEET Lee Doha sparks debate over actor-director Yeon Taejung resemblance?]
[GLEET Lee Doha emerges; fans fondly note Yeon Taejung vibes]
[Charismatic glow! Lee Doha buzzes with Yeon Taejung-like visuals]
[’Visual prodigy’ Lee Doha spotlit for Yeon Taejung similarity on debut]
[Can GLEET Lee Doha echo Yeon Taejung’s legacy?]
Doha choked down resentment reading those.
What crossed that man’s mind amid the headlines?
Spotting the hidden son thrust into fame, mirroring him instantly—what torment?
Doha craved his suffering above all.
A sharp pain ripped through his torso.
Echoes of his faint childhood pleas surfaced, mirroring Yewon’s now.
He pressed a palm to his aching core. The soreness lingered since her arrival.
As he grappled for words to name the feeling.
Yewon stirred with a yawn, eyes lifting to him.
“Go back to sleep. I wanted you rested.”
“He packed up. Returning soon.”
Relief lit her grin, soft and genuine.
Did Hanwon mean that much to her?
Disappointment mingled with Doha’s amusement as he smiled.
“Uncle Weon rates that highly?”
“Uh-huh. Family with uncle reuniting.”
Her reply struck Doha like a blow to the skull.
