When Min-yeong Oh came back down to the living room, talk of Chairman U-ha Kim of Sunwoo Group was already in full swing.

"Why do you suppose Chairman Kim came?"

Jeong-eun put the question to Mun-jong.

Mun-jong crossed his arms and shook his head.

"I don't know either."

"What do you mean the Vice-Chairman doesn't even know that much?"

"You don't know either, that's why you're asking, isn't it?"

"Well, of course I don't know. But you're the Vice-Chairman — is it really all right for you not to know?"

"Even at a time like this, you're itching to run me down."

"When have I ever run you down..."

As Jeong-eun grumbled on, Cha, sitting beside her, cut in and steered the conversation elsewhere.

"He probably came to ask for help, don't you think?"

Sang-jong, who'd been quietly watching Jeong-eun and Mun-jong bicker, nodded at Cha's words.

"That's probably it. What other reason would he have to show up at the crack of dawn on a Sunday?"

"But why come to Pyeongchang-dong? He could've come to Seongjungwon or the office on a weekday. Showing up at the house himself on a Sunday morning could look rude. Chairman Kim of Sunwoo never struck me as that kind of rude person."

Gyeong-eun said this, sounding puzzled, as she played hand-games with her son.

"Isn't it obvious?"

Jeong-eun scoffed, as if to ask how Gyeong-eun didn't already know, and said, "If he went to Seongjungwon or the office, he probably figured Father wouldn't see him. So he came to the house instead. Everyone in the country knows we have family breakfast every Sunday morning — he must have figured Father would have no choice but to meet him."

"So he absolutely had to see Father?"

"Right. Absolutely had to..."

Jeong-eun trailed off mid-sentence and looked at Gyeong-eun blankly.

"But then why did he bring Kim along to meet Chairman Kim? Even Big Brother, the Vice-Chairman, wasn't allowed in."

"There must be a reason for that."

"So what is the reason? Isn't Father playing favorites with Kim a bit much?"

Jeong-eun said, her face…