Tak-hyeon's face hardened, and he leaned back in his chair.

"Because he's family, was it… That's not a phrase that suits us. If anything, 'I put a knife in his back because he was family' would come more naturally. Wouldn't you say?"

Do-beom was under no illusions that in a chaebol house, family meant rivals.

Having watched such situations play out at Tak-hyeon's side for many years, he understood perfectly well that this laugh was not a good one.

It's true enough that 'family' is a word that doesn't fit here…

And least of all in the Ilhyeon house.

"Even family has to be trampled over on the way up. That's how I survive. They know it, which is exactly why they joined forces to cast Chang-jong out."

Thump, thump.

Tak-hyeon rapped the desk lightly.

"That's how it ought to be."

Do-beom, worried that Seong-ho might have put Tak-hyeon in a foul mood, spoke up first.

"Shall I give President Kim a word of caution? He may have said it out of ignorance."

"No. Leave it."

Tak-hyeon waved a hand.

"If it had been Gyeong-eun, that would be a problem to correct. But Seong-ho… he's a boy who can never stand in the succession line anyway. So let him do as he likes."

The corner of Tak-hyeon's mouth curled up.

"There ought to be at least one like that in our house. He helped him because they're family? Ha ha ha."

It was not a laugh of disbelief, nor of derision at some foolish act.

There was something pleased in it — even, in a way, something like fondness.

Watching Tak-hyeon, so utterly unlike the man who always preached cold-bloodedness and insisted that family were competitors, Do-beom quietly left the office.

Director Beom-mu Kim came running to the vice president's office.

"Vice President. He's coming."

Yeong-bae Song, sitting in his office talking with Pyeong-in Gu, regarded the panting Beom-mu Kim with something like pity.

"You've only just learned that, and you came running like a fool?"

"You — you already knew?"

"Never mind. Come and sit."

Yeong-bae Song gestured to…