A Madman in Love-Chapter 66

"Lee Suin?"

Her heart pounded.

The fog in her mind lifted in an instant, and Suin shot upright.

She stared at the engraving inside the earring, this time making sure she wasn’t mistaken.

LEESUIN

It was her name.

The same way it was written in English as Leesuin.

"Why is my name… on his earring?"

Suin was bewildered.

Before leaving for the U.S., Jaehee had never worn accessories.

Unlike the other chaebol kids, who flaunted their wealth with expensive watches, he had never been interested.

He always found anything cumbersome on his body to be a nuisance.

Yet, Seo Jaehee, the man who used to hate such things, had been walking around with an earring engraved with her name.

"You used to hate this kind of thing…"

When he returned to Korea, he had been wearing an expensive watch and a single earring.

The watch made sense.

An executive couldn’t constantly check the time on his phone.

It was an unavoidable choice to maintain the dignity of his position.

But the earring was different.

Many assumed he had picked up the habit in the U.S., that he had become superficial and affected.

Even the chairwoman had disliked it.

"Take that earring off before your inauguration speech."

"No."

"There’s no rule that says executives can’t wear earrings."

Right before his Executive Director Inauguration Speech, the chairwoman had criticized it.

And the tension between the two had been so explosive that day.

"Chairwoman, times have changed. I’m sure even executives wearing earrings is acceptable now."

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"Just don’t get a tattoo. You didn’t already put something on that body, did you?"

"I didn’t. Want me to strip and show you?"

"Chairwoman, the other executives are waiting."

"Fine, let’s see!"

"Chairwoman, please calm down. And Executive Director, keep your jacket on!"

That day, Suin had nearly drowned in sweat trying to defuse the heated confrontation that had nearly set the entire Grand Auditorium on fire.

They rejected each other so fiercely—probably because they were too similar.

Maybe that’s why they clashed.

But despite all that, Jaehee never took it off.

Like a partnered accessory, the earring remained.

"I’ve never taken it off. Not once."

And he had meant it.

Not once had Suin seen him without it.

"Not once," she repeated to herself.

She closely examined the platinum.

There were tiny scratches—the kind that only came with years of wear.

At least five years.

Or…

Longer.

Much, much longer.

"I’ve always, only ever, wanted you. I never let go of you."

Jaehee…

He had never let her go.

"Unbelievable."

Hearing his raw, desperate confession echo in her memory, Suin felt her throat tighten.

Her eyes burned.

Seo Jaehee.

What was she supposed to do with a man like him?

She let out a quiet chuckle, her heart swelling with something unshakably warm.

Gently, she set down the precious earring.

Then, she stood up.

There was only one place to go.

BAM!

The bathroom door burst open.

Shhh—

A rush of steam and the sound of running water filled the air.

Warm mist enveloped her as condensation dripped down the walls of the glass shower.

Jaehee didn’t notice her enter.

Suin knocked against the glass door.

Knock. Knock.

The shadow inside stilled.

A large palm wiped away the condensation, revealing his face.

The moment their eyes met—

Suin threw him a sultry look.

And struck a deliberately seductive pose.

"Haha."

Jaehee let out a low, delighted laugh.

The sound echoed off the tiled walls, deep and rich.

At the same time, the shower door swung open.

"Ah—"

In an instant, her wrist was seized.

It was impossible to tell whether he had pulled her in or she had stepped forward on her own.

Before she could even process it, she was inside the shower, enveloped in the heat of the water—and of him.

Her arms moved instinctively, wrapping around his neck.

And she kissed him, her lips meeting his smiling mouth.

***

By the time Woo Ilhwa left the golf course, it was already evening.

And she was leaving early.

She had managed to escape the executives who, under the guise of "rare opportunities," always insisted on having a drink together after such gatherings.

"Shall I take you home?"

Oh Daehwi and the driver, who had been waiting at the golf club’s café, hurried to the parking lot.

Oh Daehwi opened the rear door, while the driver took his seat at the wheel.

"Yes."

The moment Ilhwa got into the car, she leaned her head back against the seat.

She was exhausted. Her head felt heavy.

"Chairwoman, the professor will be having dinner with your mother and returning later. Should I arrange a meal for you separately?"

"No, it’s fine. Let’s go."

She shook her head at Oh Daehwi’s question, closing her eyes.

The driver smoothly pulled out of the parking lot.

Ilhwa let out a quiet sigh, merely sensing the gentle turn of the vehicle as it left.

She was utterly drained.

After the unpleasant conversation with Choi Gwangseon, her concentration had plummeted, making her feel like she had been wading through a thick swamp all day.

Yet, as the leader of a conglomerate, she had not faltered.

She had done her job, as always, and made a clean exit.

"Oh, Manager Oh."

"Yes, Chairwoman?"

"Contact Minister Kim Jeongcheol’s side and cancel the dinner scheduled for Wednesday."

"Not reschedule—cancel entirely?"

"Yes. Completely."

At his surprised reaction, she remained firm. Then she added,

"Let them know that our views seem to differ and that I must decline the discussion."

A clear and decisive way to shut down any talk of matchmaking.

There would be no second meeting.

Marriage aside, she had no desire to be associated with Vice Chairman Kim Seoncheol and his insufferable scheming.

Frankly, she didn’t like Choi Gwangseon either.

Despite being a so-called art museum director, there were widespread rumors that he exploited young, promising artists for his own gain.

People like that were best avoided.

"Understood. I’ll contact the minister’s aide and take care of it immediately."

Oh Daehwi wisely kept his thoughts to himself.

That was why she trusted her secretaries.

They were discreet and efficient.

And when it came to that, Lee Suin was the best.

"Oh."

Ilhwa’s eyes opened.

Her vision, blurred with fatigue, sharpened like a freshly cleaned window.

"Now that I think about it…"

"Yes?"

"Never mind."

Oh Daehwi had picked up on her murmured words, but she immediately shook her head and turned toward the window.

'Suin has short hair too…'

The car entered a tunnel.

For a moment, the dimly lit interior turned the window into a mirror, reflecting her own expression.

"She was about the same height as you, Chairwoman…"

They had always been at eye level.

That meant Suin was around the same height.

"Her posture and attire were elegant. She didn’t seem like a delinquent."

Choi Gwangseon’s description matched Lee Suin perfectly.

Her stomach churned as the car wound through the dense, narrow mountain roads.

She felt nauseous.

She rolled the window down.

Buzz—

"Chairwoman, are you feeling warm?"

Hearing the window lower, Oh Daehwi turned around in his seat.

"Ignore it. I just need some fresh air."

Ilhwa clenched her lips shut.

She gazed out at the May acacia trees lining the road, their white blossoms filling the air with a sweet, heavy scent.

And realized—

She desperately hoped her suspicions were wrong.

For an entire day, day and night ceased to exist.

During the day, Suin was in Jaehee’s arms.

During the night, she was wrapped in him again.

Clothing became a meaningless relic of humanity, tossed aside and forgotten.

And the number of condoms thrown into the trash bin had long since stopped being countable.

They had lost all sense of time, consumed by their hunger for each other.

The only tragedy was that they had any limits at all.

‘What an absolutely obscene day…’

Late at night, when she finally made it home, Suin was half out of her mind.

She was appalled at herself.

She felt like she had become some depraved seductress.

I used to be a perfectly respectable woman!

"Get home safe."

"Stay a little longer."

This walking embodiment of lust showed no remorse.

"Leave. Immediately."

Even after ravaging her, he still lingered.

Pushing his lingering hands away, Suin got out of his car.

But she wasn’t entirely immune either.

Before closing the door, she leaned in and kissed his lips one last time.

"Goodnight."

Jaehee grinned.

Then he grabbed her by the nape and pulled her into a deeper, sweeter kiss.

Only after he was satisfied did he finally drive away.

"Ha."

Suin chuckled, watching his car disappear down the road.

Her heart was still racing.

She turned toward her house, her lips still tingling from his kiss.

And then—

"Suin-ah."

A voice called out.

Suin froze.

At the entrance of the alley, Mi-joo stood.

"You…"

She was staring at Suin with wide, round eyes, an ice cream bar in her mouth, completely frozen in place.

"Mi-joo…"

But she wasn’t alone.

Behind Mi-joo, a shadow loomed.

The moment Suin realized who it was, her breath caught.

Her entire body went stiff.

"…Mom."